Communities across Victoria are in a state of high alert, preparing for what fire authorities have warned will be a "dire" and "catastrophic" day of bushfire danger. The looming threat has forced residents from their homes, with many seeking safety in disaster relief centres as the state endures its worst heatwave since the devastating 2019-20 Black Summer season.
Fleeing with What's Precious
For 82-year-old Jan Sporry and her husband, the decision to leave their home of nearly four decades in Ruffy was fraught with painful choices. Arriving at the Seymour Sports and Aquatic Centre disaster relief centre on Thursday with their ten-year-old kelpie, Ruby, they faced the grim possibility they might not have a home to return to.
"We wanted to pack up what was precious," Sporry said, reflecting on the difficult task of deciding what to take from a lifetime of possessions. The couple gathered photographs, important documents, and cherished needlework, leaving the fate of their property to chance. "We just have to keep our fingers crossed and hope," she added.
A Community on Edge, Preparing for the Worst
The relief centre in Seymour became a hub of anxious activity, hosting a crucial community meeting on Thursday night. Evacuees, some with caravans in tow, settled in for an uncertain stay. The mood was one of grim preparedness, heavily influenced by recent history.
One local resident, Maree, attended the meeting with her two sons, who live with disabilities. Having experienced the Black Summer fires, she was taking no chances. "I know what happened then, so I would rather be 100% sure what's going on now, rather than wait for the last minute," she explained, noting their emergency packs containing water, radios, and identification were ready to go.
This sentiment was echoed in Seymour's supermarkets, where shelves were stripped bare of bottled water and batteries. Residents loaded trolleys with supplies, from packets of two-minute noodles to litres of water, demonstrating a community hunkering down for a severe threat.
Dire Warnings and Uncontrolled Fires
Firefighting efforts are focused on blazes at Longwood, which threatened to spread further on Thursday. The Country Fire Authority (CFA) advised residents in some areas that it was too late to leave, instructing them to shelter indoors instead.
CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan issued a stark warning about the conditions expected on Friday, which included temperatures in the mid to upper 40s Celsius and potential wind gusts of up to 100km/h. "[Friday] is a very, very dire bushfire day in the state of Victoria," Heffernan stated, emphasising that fires had the potential to spread rapidly. His message to the public was unequivocal: "Do not wait for a warning."
The psychological impact of the past is palpable. For communities near Kinglake and Marysville—areas scarred by the 2009 Black Saturday fires—and those who lived through Black Summer, the anxiety is profound. State MP for Eildon, Cindy McLeish, whose electorate includes threatened zones, confirmed the widespread fear. "People are very anxious and fearful," she said, acknowledging that while some may stay to defend properties, most were vigilant and prepared to evacuate.
As a light, insufficient shower fell over Seymour on Thursday night, one resident, June, who was loading water into her car with her children, summed up the community's hope. "Now, we just pray for rain," she said, her hands clasped together. With a total fire ban in place across Victoria and catastrophic ratings for many districts, the state now waits and watches, braced for what the new day may bring.
