Australia orders about 30,000 people to evacuate due to risk of spreading bushfires

Severe bushfire warnings have been issued for large areas of Victoria, with a catastrophic warning - the highest level - in place for the Wimmera region in the state's west.

The area affected by the spreading wildfires could include several rural towns, according to local officials, who ordered the evacuation of about 30,000 people in these towns on the morning of February 28.

"February 28 is an incredibly challenging day for firefighters and the local community, and we need to act quickly at short notice," said Fire and Rescue Victoria Commissioner Jason Heffernan.

Hundreds of firefighters are still battling a massive bushfire near Ballarat that has burned six homes, destroyed more than 20,000 hectares of forest and farmland, and caused property and livestock losses since it broke out on February 22.

Meanwhile, a heatwave from the Australian outback is forecast to hit Victoria on Friday, before moving into New South Wales. Heffernan warned that dry lightning could spark new bushfires, while strong winds from Tuesday afternoon could further spread existing fires near Ballarat.

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology says the Victorian city of Mildura could record temperatures of up to 45 degrees Celsius.

Australia is facing one of its worst bushfire seasons since the devastating 2019-2020 fires. The “Black Summer” has devastated forests in the country’s east, killing millions of animals and blanketing cities with toxic smoke.