Victoria’s government declared a state of disaster on January 10 as more than 30 bushfires continued to burn across the state’s southeast, driven by a severe heatwave and hot winds. Emergency Management Commissioner Tim Wiebusch reported that at least 130 structures had been destroyed across Victoria, including houses, sheds and other buildings. The state opened emergency relief and recovery payments and issued multiple evacuation orders and “take shelter now” warnings as conditions changed. Authorities listed towns and valleys in the Walwa area under urgent warnings, with examples including Granya, Walwa, Mitta Valley and Dartmouth. The state of disaster was reported to apply to multiple local government areas, covering 18 LGAs, giving emergency services legal authority to compel people to leave high-risk zones.

Source: The Hindu January 10, 2026 06:12 UTC