850,000 Acres Of Victoria Bushland Burned In One Week After Worst Heatwave In Years; One Dead, 300 Structures Gone

Australian authorities are assessing the damage after one of the worst heatwaves in years resulted in bushfires igniting across the country’s south-east, with one person dead, hundreds of homes and structures lost, thousands of hectares burned and entire towns evacuated. A state of disaster remained in place across much of Victoria on Sunday as thousands of firefighters and emergency service workers continued to battle blazes that were expected to burn “for weeks”.

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Australian authorities are assessing the damage after one of the worst heatwaves in years resulted in bushfires igniting across the country’s south-east, with one person dead, hundreds of homes and structures lost, thousands of hectares burned and entire towns evacuated. A state of disaster remained in place across much of Victoria on Sunday as thousands of firefighters and emergency service workers continued to battle blazes that were expected to burn “for weeks”.

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Meanwhile, in Australia’s north, residents were being “smashed” by heavy rain and fierce wind after Tropical Cyclone Koji crossed the coast in Queensland.

Australia experienced its fourth-warmest year on record in 2025, with average temperatures up 1.23C nationally, according to the BoM. The climate crisis has increased the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, including heatwaves and bushfires.

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https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jan/11/weve-got-your-back-australian-pm-visits-bushfire-ravaged-towns-as-300-structures-destroyed-and-350000-hectares-burned