Nearly 1,000 firefighters battling Western Victoria bushfires

Nearly 1,000 firefighters are working to contain an out-of-control bushfire burning in Western Victoria as interstate crews are mobilised to lend a hand. The crews are contending with the 17,500-hectare inferno as catastrophic conditions are forecast for Wednesday. Temperatures are expected to hit 37 degrees on Wednesday, with strong winds likely to put crews under extreme pressure. The large bushfire burning near Ballarat has already claimed at least six homes, burning through more than 20,000 hectares of land. Emergency services are working to quickly construct control lines on Tuesday ahead of the following day’s temperature escalation, which is expected to be Victoria’s worst bushfire conditions since 2020.