Photograph: Jesse Thompson/ Getty ImagesAustralian authorities are assessing the damage after one of the worst heatwaves in years resulted in bushfires igniting across the country’s southeast, with one person dead, hundreds of homes and structures lost, thousands of hectares burned and entire towns evacuated. The person, who was yet to be formally identified, was found about 100 metres from a vehicle off Yarck Road at Gobur. Bushfires have burned tens of thousands of hectares in Victoria, destroying multiple homes and other structures. The water corporation Coliban Water was unable to access a burst water main due to the fires. Australia experienced its fourth-warmest year on record in 2025, with average temperatures up 1.23C nationally, according to the BoM.

Source: The Irish Times January 11, 2026 15:20 UTC