One person has died and at least 300 homes and buildings have been destroyed as bushfires tore across south-east Australia, authorities said on Sunday. The fires have been burning for several days across dozens of locations, mostly in the state of Victoria, but also in New South Wales, scorching land nearly twice the size of Greater London. Victoria declared a state of emergency as thousands of firefighters, supported by more than 70 aircraft, battled the blazes. Residents in more than a dozen communities were advised to evacuate, with authorities warning that the fires, fueled by extreme heat, dry conditions and strong winds, could continue burning for weeks. Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan said 30 active fires were burning across the state, including 10 of particular concern. She said about 350,000 hectares had been burned as of Sunday morning. "We will see fires continue for some time across the state, and that is why we are not through the worst of this by a long way," Allan told local media, adding that several fires were still threatening homes and property. Police said human remains were found in the village of Gobur, near the town of Longwood, about 110 kilometers north of Melbourne. The victim has not yet been formally identified. Allan praised emergency workers involved in the recovery effort, describing the work as difficult and confronting, and said the Gobur community was grieving. Bushfire smoke has significantly affected air quality across large parts of Victoria, including metropolitan Melbourne. Authorities said the current blazes are the most severe to hit south-east Australia since the 2019–2020 bushfire season, which burned an area the size of Turkey and killed 33 people. One of the hardest-hit communities is the town of Harcourt in Victoria's central highlands, where firefighter Tyrone Rice lost his home while he was deployed battling the fires. He described the loss as "a kick in the guts," noting that many others had suffered similar devastation. Local fire captain Andrew Wilson said the destruction in Harcourt was "gut-wrenching," while media reports from affected areas showed entire neighborhoods reduced to ash, with only twisted metal and collapsed roofs left behind. — Agencies
