Bushfire threat hits Melbourne as city swelters
Victoria's extreme heat has brought the threat of bushfires to Melbourne's doorstep.
Firefighters have stopped the spread of a grassfire threatening the town of Kangaroo Ground on Melbourne's outskirts but the blaze is still out of control.
An emergency warning has been downgraded to a watch and act alert for the grassfire at Kangaroo Ground, 26km northeast of the city centre.
During the emergency warning CFA spokesman Mick Harris said about 1000 people and 300 houses were in the direct area of the fire.
He said the fire covered about 11 hectares but was in inaccessible terrain, burning in a mixture of bush and open grassland.
Thirty tankers and five aircraft are fighting the fire.
Several fires have flared in the Tuesday afternoon heat but Mr Harris said there had been no property loss or injuries so far.
However, some firefighters have been treated for heat stress.
An emergency warning for the suburb of Diggers Rest and nearby town of Sunbury, 40km northwest of the Melbourne CBD, was discontinued after firefighters stopped the spread of the grassfire and brought it under control.
Firefighters also stopped the spread of a grassfire that was heading for the town of Little River, between Geelong and Melbourne.
About 100 firefighters and two aircraft, including a fire-bombing helicopter, managed to stop the spread of the 100-hectare fire, which came within metres of two homes on the outskirts of the the small town.
The fire, which was fanned by strong winds, was eventually controlled after almost an hour.
Total fire bans across Victoria
Total fire bans have been declared in most regions of Victoria, with much of the state predicted to hit 40-plus degrees on Tuesday and tops of about 40C forecast for the rest of the working week.
The government has issued a heat health alert with people being urged to keep cool and look out for the elderly.
Mr Ryan said Victorians faced heatwave conditions.
"These next four days promise to be amongst the most significant that we have faced in Victoria since Black Saturday," he told reporters at the State Control Centre in Melbourne.
Mr Ryan said Victoria, one of the most fire-prone locations on earth, was vastly better prepared for fire than it was five years ago.
He said the conditions were also better than they were five years ago, with the state having faced 13 years of drought before Black Saturday.
"We are alive to the fact that we face these challenges over the course of these coming four days, including today, but on the other hand we are well prepared. We are ready to go," Mr Ryan said.
Fire Services Commissioner Craig Lapsley said the area from Hamilton to Geelong and Melbourne's outer suburbs would be among the most critical areas on Tuesday.
Total fire bans are in place in all districts except for the northeast and East Gippsland.
Mr Lapsley said an expected southwesterly wind change would make Friday the peak fire danger day.
He said the next four days would dry out the state and make the situation more critical for the remainder of summer.
Mr Lapsley said all fires from Monday, including a grass fire in a blue gum plantation at Trawalla, were now controlled.
Melbourne had already reached 35C at 10am (AEDT), while Avalon, near Geelong, was sitting on nearly 39C.
Victoria heat warning
Victorian paramedics have already been called to 11 cases of children locked in cars as the heatwave takes hold.
Ambulance Victoria operations manager Paul Holman said while some cases were accidental, others appeared to be deliberate.
"I understand at times it's a bit of an inconvenience but it's better to have an inconvenience than a dead child," Mr Holman told reporters on Tuesday.
With Tuesday's 40-plus degrees the start of a four-day heatwave, Mr Holman said ambulance crews will struggle to cope with the influx of heat-related patients despite all available staff being put on duty.
"We will be stretched, there's no two ways about it," Mr Holman said.
"We have recalled all available staff, every available vehicle will be on the road."
Paramedics treated 11 cases of heat exposure on Monday, including a man in his 80s who collapsed while playing lawn bowls.
In the heatwave leading up to Black Saturday in 2009, Ambulance Victoria had a 46 per cent increase in triple-zero calls in three days.
Mr Holman urged Victorians without an emergency condition to seek alternative medical treatment.
"If it is something less urgent then just think about whether a doctor or some other service is more appropriate."
Residents left without power, water
In the Northern Victorian town of Thoona, power was cut to 300 residents for pre-arranged maintenance works by SP Ausnet.
SP AusNet said it began work earlier than originally stated so customers would be reconnected before temperatures hit their peak in the afternoon.
"We've increased resources for these jobs and brought forward start times, predominantly starting as early as 7am, to reconnect power before the hottest period of the day," a spokesperson said in a statement said.
Emily Healy, a resident from one of the affected towns Thoona, said they were warned about the interruption two weeks ago, but were caught out when the power was cut early.
"Our plan was to get up this morning and put the cooling on to try and cool the house, fill the dogs' water bottle up and everything," Ms Healy told Fairfax Radio.
"We've got no power, which means we've got no water - our water is reliant on electricity pump."
The SP AusNet spokesperson said the company had to replace at-risk power poles and undertake other essential bushfire mitigation works to comply with Energy Safe Victoria.
"Our safety obligations with Energy Safe Victoria stipulate we maintain a zero risk rating for our assets throughout the bushfire season," the statement said.
All non-essential maintenance has been postponed.
