updated ,first published
People who have not yet evacuated near out-of-control bushfires in the Otway Ranges are being urged to do so by sunset before a heat wave descends on Victoria on Tuesday.
Police and SES volunteers have begun door-knocking on homes near the Carlisle River Fire, south of Colac, but are urging people not to wait for police.
“The message is we’re leaving today,” the Victorian Forestry and Fire Authority said in its latest update just before midday.
“Please be prepared to evacuate before sunset today. If you choose to stay, emergency services may not be able to help you.”
There are three relief centers where people can evacuate, two in Colac and one in Grovedale on the outskirts of Geelong.
Residents in the Roan and Wye Rivers, which were affected by flash flooding two weeks ago, are now being urged to monitor the changing fire situation.
The Otways fire broke out on January 7, but containment lines were destroyed during Saturday’s day of extreme fire danger in the south-west. Smoke from the fires blanketed Melbourne early Sunday morning.
The Otways’ latest warning comes as northern Victoria braces for record temperatures of up to 49 degrees on Tuesday and a week-long heatwave, increasing the risk of bushfires.
Emergency Management Commissioner Tim Wibush said parts of northern Victoria could see temperatures above 40 degrees for seven consecutive days.
“We haven’t seen heatwave conditions like this in Victoria for almost 20 years,” Mr Wiebush said, referring to the heat around Black Saturday in 2009.
Japan Meteorological Agency prediction The town of Ouen in the state’s north-west is set to reach 49 degrees on Tuesday, which would be a Victorian record.
“Hopetoun and Walpup are both forecast to reach 48 degrees on Tuesday. [so] All-time records could be achieved in these two locations,” forecaster Diana Eddy said.
He said the cold front was likely to reach the south-west of the state by late Tuesday afternoon, but would not arrive in Melbourne until around 10pm.
Temperatures in Melbourne are expected to reach a high of 30 degrees on Monday and 44 degrees on Tuesday.
High temperatures in the city were expected to drop into the mid-20s on Wednesday and Thursday.
The agency issued a heatwave warning for much of the state from Sunday through Wednesday. The alert was placed at the ‘extreme’ level in the state’s north-east and the ‘severe’ level across northern Victoria.
The bureau said highs in the northern half of the state will be in the upper 30s to mid-40s during the heatwave, with highs “directly across” Victoria expected to reach 40s on Tuesday.
The bureau said slightly cooler weather is expected for coastal areas of Gippsland, with highs expected to reach the low to mid 30s on Tuesday.
During the heatwave, nighttime lows are expected to be in the upper teens to mid-20s in the northern part of the state, and around 15 to 20 degrees in the south.
“Severe to extreme heatwave conditions will continue for an extended period of time, peaking on Tuesday and Wednesday and gradually easing in the southwest from mid-week following a milder shift in the southwest,” the agency said in a statement on Sunday.
“Severe to extreme heatwave conditions are not expected to ease in the rest of the state until cooler temperatures arrive late next week.”
High temperatures in Melbourne are expected to reach 32 degrees on Friday, 28 degrees on Saturday and 22 degrees on Sunday.
Air quality alerts for Melbourne, Geelong and surrounding areas were raised just after 9am on Sunday as smoke from the Otway River was carried by winds across central Victoria.
“Smoke can worsen existing heart and lung conditions and cause eye irritation, coughing and wheezing,” the warning says.
A State Control Center spokeswoman said several attack teams were active Saturday night into Sunday battling the Carlisle River Fire, with a focus on protecting buildings.
Chief Fire Officer Chris Hardman said buildings may have been lost, but assessors were yet to assess the extent of the damage in the dense bushland.
“The heating that will occur on Tuesday could cause the fire to move rapidly again,” he said.
Mr Hardman also warned that the Warwa Fire in the High Country near the New South Wales border had grown to more than 100,000 hectares and could hamper firefighters’ efforts for weeks.
“Early or late, [on Sunday]or indeed [on Monday]”We can see the fire escaping containment lines and moving south. There are no large communities at risk, but this is an area to keep an eye on over the coming weeks,” he said.
This summer’s wildfires in Victoria damaged more than 1,000 structures, 289 of which were homes.
longwood fire Desolate areas of central Victoria It occurred earlier this month but is now contained.
A total fire ban has not yet been declared across Victoria this week.
“It’s still early in the season,” Hardman said. “We have had some bad fires, but now is not the time to turn a blind eye to the challenges ahead.”
Ambulance Victoria said paramedics responded to 11 incidents where children were trapped in cars as temperatures soared on Saturday.
“Hot cars can kill people,” said Dale Armstrong, Victoria Ambulance’s emergency management manager.
“Victorians also need to be careful and take precautions to avoid heat stroke and other illnesses. [for example] The elderly, the young, pregnant, and those with medical conditions. ”
Heatstroke can be fatal in up to 80 per cent of cases, Armstrong warned.
breaking news intention notify you Important breaking news when it happens. Get it here.