A Total Fire Ban (TFB) has been declared for tomorrow, 3 January 2020 for the Wimmera, South West, North East and East Gippsland.
A TFB means that no fires can be lit in the open air or be allowed to remain alight in the open air, including campfires and burn offs, between midnight tonight and 11.59pm tomorrow. There are also a number of municipalities across the state with fire restrictions in place and these can be sourced from the Country Fire Authority website.
More than 1,000 firefighters continue to work on building containment lines for the 51 going fires that have burned over 780,000 hectares.
Victoria is bracing for worsening fire conditions on Saturday, 4 January 2020 particularly in the North and North East of the State.
Authorities are strongly encouraging communities located in the Upper Murray and Alpine areas to prepare for worsening conditions.
With fire risk expected to increase over the weekend, those at risk in the areas of North East and Gippsland are encouraged to leave while it is safe to do so.
Authorities are also asking the community to avoid travelling to Upper Murray or Alpine areas.
Always use multiple sources to stay informed during an emergency:
• www.emergency.vic.gov.au.
• VicEmergency Hotline - freecall 1800 226 226.
• VicEmergency app.
• Facebook or Twitter (#vicfires).
• Tune in to ABC Local Radio, commercial and designated community radio stations, or Sky News TV.
-ENDS-
State Control Centre Media
Email: sccvic.media@scc.vic.gov.au
Web: www.emergency.vic.gov.au
Relevant agency media lines will be forwarded to the SCC during operations.