A popular wedding location and various other buildings have been destroyed as uncontrolled Bushfires West Victoria's West.
Hundreds of firefighters fight against three uncontrolled Bushfires, one in Dimboola and Jammeren near the South Australian border and two in the Grampians National Park.
The Dimboola fire, inflamed by Dry Lightning in Little Desert National Park on Monday, has been quickly expanded to more than 65,000 hectares.
At a frightening pace it moved the inhabitants of Dimboola with just a few minutes to collect and evacuate their possessions.
Wedding and Conference Center Little Desert Nature Lodge was destroyed in the Dimboola Blaze.
“The lodge just exploded, it's completely gone,” the mayor of Hindmarsh Shire Ron Ismay told AAP.
“It is very sad, it was a great location for people in the area.”
Mr. Ngentent confirmed that a farm west of Dimboola had been lost and another could have been damaged near a river.
Residents were told that they had to evacuate when the fire reached the edge of the city, but some in the Dimboola District Hospital and the old care institution of the city did not come out on time.
Wedding and Conference Center Little Desert Nature Lodge was destroyed in the Dimboola Blaze (photo)
The fire near Dimboola spread rapidly, where residents only had a few minutes to leave their houses
About 190 people and their pets sought refuge in an improvised aid center in Horsham, with 27 overnight stays.
The fire was downgraded to watch and act on Tuesday afternoon.
“I am incredibly grateful that no lives have been lost due to this fire, and we also have no reports of injuries,” said Rick Ngent, commissioner for emergency management, reporters in the State Control Center in Melbourne.
The resident of Dimboola and the deputy mayor of Hindmarsh Shire Council Chan Uoy said that the smell of smoke lingered in the city when he and other locals came home on Tuesday afternoon.
He only had a cancellation period for 30 minutes to evacuate late on Monday in warm, dry wind and smoke.
“The wind was cruel, it was hot, it was ominous.
“It is just like this huge cloud cover that you follow, it is quite dramatic.”
In the aid center in Horsham, municipal recovery manager Mandi Stewart said that the local population was very relieved that the fire was not more serious.
Displayed is an aerial photo of the fire in the Little Desert National Park
Aussies in Dimboola (photo) was told to take shelter while forest fires raged
“It looked pretty bad,” said Mrs. Stewart.
“The cities were pretty good, there is one area in the south of the city where there is no access yet.”
Little Desert National Park and Wail State Forest remain closed and the rain line between Victoria and SA has been suspended.
A second emergency warning issued for Strachans, Victoria Point and Victoria Valley in the southwestern part of Grampians National Park has been reduced to look and act.
Hours later Kijk- en ACT reports were published for a fire in the Wallaby Rocks ROAD area near Zumsteins in the north of the park with Brimpaen, Laharum, Wartook, Cranage, Zumsteins and Glenisla Crossing.
The fires are in the remote areas that were not scorched by fires earlier this summer.
“It is incredibly dry within it,” said Mr. Ngent.
These photos simply show how serious the situation is in Dimboola in northwestern Victoria
It took 21 days to bring Blazes to the Grampians, fueled on December 17, under control.
Forest Fire Management Victoria Chief Fire Officer Chris Hardman said that the fires would present a 'similar scenario', because a cool change took place for gusts of wind.
“The fire of the grampians will be a real challenge for the coming days and possibly weeks,” he said.
Prime Minister Jacinta Allan said there were a maximum of 150 fires in the state because high heat and wind brought dangerous circumstances and fire bans.
