Victorian bushfires: Devastating bushfires claim 25 homes at Pomonal and Dadswells Bridge as 70,000 people remain without power after wild storm
A devastating bushfire in western Victoria has destroyed 25 homes and left more than 70,000 homes without power since Tuesday.
The fire service confirmed 24 homes were lost in Pomonal and one at Dadswells Bridge in the Grampians National Park.
Residents who fled are still waiting nervously after being told they cannot return home due to safety concerns over live wires and fire retardants.
Residents of Pomonal and Dadswells Bridge are nervously waiting to see if their property has been damaged
Flames roared through properties in the Grampians National Park
Halls Gap resident Richie Allan shared 9News he was unsure if his house was still standing as he had to quickly evacuate as the flames swept through it.
'I don't know if he was burned. I only have six pieces of clothing,” he said.
Horsham Incident Controller Peter Shaw said authorities were hopeful of reopening the Western Highway in the area soon.
“We're hopeful that in the not-too-distant future we can open things up and possibly even get people into Pomonal,” he told the newspaper. ABC.
One fire in the area remains at Watch and Act level as crews continue to manage outbreaks.
Emergency services are responding to a fire currently at Watch and Act level
Work also continues to restore power to tens of thousands of homes across the state following severe storms earlier this week.
The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has a rack which said about 127,743 homes and businesses in Victoria are without power.
Of those, 2,455 are dependent on electricity, including five regional hospitals that relied on generators.
The disaster was one of the worst power outages in Victorian history and has been described by Energy Minister Lily D'Ambrosio as an 'unprecedented, catastrophic weather event'.
Yesterday afternoon, the AMEO said it could take “days, if not weeks” to restore power to those affected, given the extent of the damage.
To help, the government is offering affected residents emergency relief payments of up to $640 per adult and $2,240 per family.
These funds can be applied for by telephone or in person at emergency response centers.