A MAJOR blaze in Melbourne’s southeast that threatened homes and lives is now under control in what was Victoria’s first big test of the fire season.

The fire at Carrum Downs damaged a home, four sheds and fencing, but authorities expect to soon declare the blaze, which started just after 3pm, under control, CFA Assistant Chief Officer Trevor Owen told reporters.

The Victorian fires were burning at the same time “catastrophic” conditions in neighbouring South Australia caused fires to burn through thousands of hectares and saw a fire crew survive a burnover in their truck.

“We are in the final stages of containing the fire,” he said. “Residents will be and are returning.” News footage of the Carrum Downs fire earlier showed crews on the ground working to put out fences, sheds and roofs that had caught fire.

A team of 300 firefighters, 50 trucks and three helicopters worked furiously to save dozens of homes in Carrum Downs.

Two water-bombing helicopters were also on the scene working to protect properties.

Mr Owen said the cause of the fire still hadn’t been determined.

He commended firefighters on their work, saying the outcomes of the fire could have been a lot worse.

“Firefighters have made a tremendous effort to get in top of what has been a difficult day of extreme heat, low humidity and strong northerly winds.

“It was a very very good outcome.”

Firefighters were expected to be in control of the huge blaze by 7pm as the wind change passes through.

Homes were no longer under threat.

The fire in dense scrubland damaged one Darnley Drive home when embers got into an evaporative air conditioning unit. The house escaped total destruction but the family can’t stay there, Mr Owen said.

Darnley drive resident Ray O’Halloran told AAP he and his wife evacuated as soon as they were told to, but left their cat and dog behind.

His daughter went to get the animals, and when she arrived, she heard a bang from a tyre on trailer on fire next door and the flames spread to Mr O’Halloran’s motorhome bus.

“They grabbed the hose, the CFA got the gates open and hit it with the fire hose with the foam,” he told AAP.

“It probably saved the house from going up.

The O’Halloran’s have lived in the street for more than 20 years and say this was the worst fire they’d seen.

“This is the first time that it’s actually damaged houses.”

Meanwhile, a fire that had been raging in the state’s west has been brought under control.

Firefighters have stopped the spread of a grassfire at Glenormiston South, north east of Warrnamboo,l but are warning residents they shouldn’t relax as conditions could change.

“Leaving now is the safest option,” a Country Fire Authority watch and act alert for Glenormiston North, Glenormiston South, Noorat, Noorat East and Kolora states.

A total fire ban is in place across Victoria until midnight. Sunday is expected to be much cooler.

#BREAKING: People in the immediate area of Carrum Downs fire are being urged to leave - could pose a threat to lives and houses @9NewsMelb @9NewsAUS pic.twitter.com/MlqObPbbCt — Angus Ledwidge (@angusleddo) 6 January 2018

Other houses now under threat from fire at Carrum Downs #9NEWS pic.twitter.com/f9y7jWyvOS — Brett Mcleod (@Brett_McLeod) 6 January 2018

Emergency Management Victoria Commissioner Craig Lapsley said there had been 50 fires reported as of 3:30pm, most of which had been kept small and extinguished.

A fire crew in South Australia’s southeast has survived a burnover in their truck as a bushfire raged, destroying two farm buildings and threatening homes. The crew were among more than 70 firefighters who battled the blaze at Sherwood, prompting the Country Fire Service to issue an emergency warning for local residents.

CFS assistant chief officer, Daniel Austin, said the Sherwood fire burned over a fire truck while crews had to bunker down inside the vehicle.

He said the crew were shaken but not injured and were checked by paramedics.

“They engaged their normal burnover procedures, which they train for each summer and waited until the fire had passed through, checked their appliance and moved away,” he said.

“The reports I have at this time is there was minimal damage to the appliance and there are no injuries.

“They are shaken and are being checked over by ambulance crews.”

A SA Ambulance spokeswoman said two firefighters had minor injuries while one other suffered smoke inhalation.

Mr Austin said Keith and Bordertown were no longer under threat.

Two sheds were destroyed in the Sherwood bushfire, which burnt 8000 hectares.

At the height of the blaze an emergency warning was issued for the Sherwood, Brimbago, Lowan Vale, McCallum and Senior areas near the South Australian- Victorian border and locals were warned that it was no longer safe to leave.

The fire was still threatening farms, but a cool change is expected to provide moderate conditions on Sunday and a chance for firefighters to control the blaze, 225km from Adelaide.

Local farmer Robyn Verrall told Nine News that her husband was fighting the blaze, which broke out about 20km from their property. “At [the] fire scene, it’s a wall of flames,” Ms Verrall said.

The CFS battled more than 40 fires across the state during the course of Saturday in what were described as “catastrophic conditions”. Nineteen of the fires were in country areas.

Earlier in the day, the CFS declared the Mount Lofty Ranges, Upper South East and Lower South East regions to be at the highest risk of fires.

Residents should:



When you leave remember to take your pets, mobile phone and medications.

Travel to the home of family or friends that are away from the warning area.

Keep the roads clear so emergency services can respond.

If you are away from home do not return.

Monitor conditions for changes in the situation.

If you are currently driving slow down and turn on your headlights; smoke will make it difficult to see.

Water-bombing aircraft working to save this property at Carrum Downs @9NewsMelb pic.twitter.com/zMyWYj1XtU — Angus Ledwidge (@angusleddo) January 6, 2018

Firefighters are tackling an out of control fire in the Melbourne suburb of Carrum Downs. Video shows at least one house on house, rear sheds and nearby fencing on fire. https://t.co/sIOhc3AVvL #CarrumDowns #7News pic.twitter.com/bkjk79Ed7l — 7 News Brisbane (@7NewsBrisbane) 6 January 2018

In NSW, Ausgrid crews were working late on Saturday to restore power to nearly 2000 homes in Newport, Bilgola Plateau and Bilgola Beach in Pittwater north of Sydney.

It came after thousands of homes in Victoria were earlier left without power during the heatwave, which saw temperatures climb to over 40C.

An unknown fault caused power to be cut to more than 2300 homes in the Melbourne suburb of Caroline Springs at approximately 1:30pm, before being restored by around 3pm.

Homes in Taylors Hill, Ravenhall and Burnside were affected also by the fault, with around 850 homes in those areas experiencing blackouts. By 4pm, approximately 650 homes were still without power in surrounding areas including Nullawarre, Nirranda and Mepunga.

Emergency crews are working to restore power to 1988 homes in Newport, Bilgola Plateau and Bilgola Beach. For information on estimated restoration times see https://t.co/zltXYk3kEU pic.twitter.com/IH8Cjv6b1H — Ausgrid (@Ausgrid) January 6, 2018

A spokeswoman for Powercor told news.com.au that crews were working on the issue and residents should have their power back on by 6pm. “The cause of the outage is unknown but we have crews heading out there now,” she said.

More than 700 homes in Warrandyte, Ringwood East and Mount Evelyn were also experiencing blackouts.

The outages came after Victorians were warned of “blast furnace” conditions, as the state sweltered through what was tipped to be its single hottest day in two years, with the mercury hitting 30.9C at 9am in Melbourne.

Victoria’s ambulance commander Paul Holman said conditions need to be taken seriously and that people should stay indoors unless absolutely necessary, with Saturday being the “first extreme heat day of the year”.

“This heat is a killer,” Mr Holman said on Friday. “It’s going to be like a blast furnace tomorrow and you need to adjust what you do. You need to take care. So put off the sporting events, put off the outside events, stay inside.”

For the first time this bushfire season, multiple areas of South Australia have been updated to the “catastrophic” fire risk level.

The County Fire Service has declared the Mount Lofty Ranges, Upper South East and Lower South East regions to be at the highest risk of fires, as hot and windy weather continues to bear down on most of the state.

The Bureau of Meteorology has warned gale force winds are expected for parts of South Australia this afternoon, with the affected locations including Mount Gambier, Naracoorte, Meningie, Bordertown, Keith and Lucindale.

Severe damaging winds were predicted to hit Victoria on Saturday afternoon, brought through by a cold front crossing the state’s centre and southwest.

Peak gusts of around 90km/h were expected to whip parts of the Southwest, Wimmera, Central and West and South Gippsland districts but the winds were expected to ease within an hour of the change.

The severe weather warning for damaging winds has been updated and now includes the Central district including #Melbourne, #Geelong and #Ballarat. Strong wind squalls are expected with the #coolchange this afternoon. https://t.co/WAM9sHvvmV pic.twitter.com/8AX4B5LRB9 — Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria (@BOM_Vic) 5 January 2018

In NSW, Surf Life Saving and the Rural Fire Service warned residents to stay safe on the state’s beaches and prepare for potential bushfires.

“Lifesavers and lifeguards are out in force but we need the public to take some responsibility for their own safety,” Surf Life Saving chief executive Steven Pearce told AAP.

“The tragic incidents we have witnessed through December and early January are a reminder of the power of the ocean.”

Temperatures in Melbourne on Saturday were expected to climb north of 41C, the hottest they’ve been since 42.2C was recorded on January 13, 2016. Geelong and Bendigo were tipped to nudge 42C, while Swan Hill, Echuca, Warracknabeal and Mildura were forecast to hit 44C.

One Bunnings in Melbourne took on the advice, cancelling the regular Saturday sausage sizzle.





Animal services were also preparing for an influx of heat-affected wildlife, with Victoria’s Healesville Sanctuary closing its doors due to the hot weather and high winds posing a threat to visitors, staff and animals.

“The closure of the Sanctuary is a precaution for tourists visiting the Yarra Valley and will allow staff to focus on the needs of the animals to ensure their comfort and safety,” Healesville Sanctuary director Ross Williamson said in a statement.

The Australian Wildlife Health Centre will remain open for critically injured wildlife, with Mr Williamson urging people to leave out water sources for animals who may be struggling in the heat.

“In previous heatwaves, we’ve triaged birds that have become lethargic and landed fatally close to dogs and cats. Young possums literally fall out of trees.”

If you come across an injured animal, try to keep it in a cool, quiet, dark place until you are able to call for assistance.

📣 ATTENTION: Please note that #HealesvilleSanctuary will be closed on Saturday 6 January due to the hot weather predicted. The welfare of our animals & safety of our staff are our number one priority. We apologise for any inconvenience this causes. We will reopen on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/kTjbNDoy6Y — Zoos Victoria (@ZoosVictoria) 5 January 2018

The scorching conditions have fire authorities deeply concerned. Total fire bans have been declared throughout SA and Victoria and across most of Tasmania for Saturday.

“If a fire starts it will run, it will run hard and has the potential to do significant damage,” Mr Lapsley said earlier. “On these days the conditions can beat the crews and the terrain.”

South Australian firefighters have called in extra water bombers from NSW and Victoria, with the state set to experience both heat and high winds.

On Friday, drivers were delayed on the Hume Highway due to a stretch of road “melting”.

Victoria Police warned motorists should expect delays on the right-hand lane heading towards the city near Broadford on Friday evening, as a 10km stretch of road was reportedly melting amid the hot weather.

Truly bizarre!



Traffic is crawling on the Hume Freeway near Broadford because it is MELTING!? pic.twitter.com/vBrFXcRDEX — 3AW Melbourne (@3AW693) January 5, 2018

Meanwhile, the Australian Energy Market Operator, the national energy regulator, is in talks with more than a dozen power-hungry companies in Victoria and South Australia in a bid to get ahead of weekend blackouts.

The 14 companies, with major factories across the two southern states, may need to shut down operations over the weekend as heightened airconditioner use could lead to major blackouts.

Companies including Australian Paper, Visy and BlueScope Steel have been paid incentives to cut down on operations to avoid the kind of sporadic blackouts South Australia struggled through last summer.

Sky News weather meteorologist Tristan Meyers told news.com.au the country’s southern and eastern states will swelter.

“There is a lot of heat coming this week affecting South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and NSW,” he said.

“On Saturday, it’s going to be really hot in Victoria and Tasmania. Melbourne, Geelong and Launceston will have their hottest days in two years.”

The mercury is tipped to hit 41C in Melbourne on Saturday while Launceston and much of Tasmania is expected to reach at least 32C.

On Sunday, NSW will have its turn to sweat with much of the state expected to reach above average temperatures.

“We have seen some hotter days, but the state is going to get pretty hot. Western parts of Sydney will absolutely swelter and Penrith will hit the mid-40s,” Meyers said.

The state will then be hit with incredibly hot, gusty conditions which will lead to a spike in fire danger throughout the state.

Catastrophic fire danger is expected in South Australia’s Mount Lofty and today Western Australia is likely to see severe to extreme fire danger across much of the state.

James Taylor, the acting manager of the Bureau of Meteorology’s extreme weather desk, said Australians need to be vigilant.

“Any fires that start will be extremely difficult to suppress,” he said, citing the hot and gusty conditions expected across much of south east Australia on the weekend.

An analysis from finder.com.au, the country’s number one comparison site, found Aussies could save a whopping $415 this summer if they opt for a fan rather than their airconditioning unit.

Using your fan for 8 hours per night for the duration of summer will cost Aussies a total of $17, whereas using your aircon for the same amount of time will cost you $432, the site found.

Angus Kidman, finder.com.au editor-in-chief, said Aussies need to embrace the humble fan more.

“It might be tempting to crank your aircon for hours, but if you don’t want to end up with a hefty electricity bill at the end of the month, try to avoid overuse.

“We need to give fans a little more credit. They might not cool the entire room down, but they do a very good job at keeping you comfortable, especially if they’re directly blowing on you, and they’re much cheaper to run.”

“Aussies have become accustomed to staying cool. Some people will even drop the temperature so low they end up putting a jacket on just to stay warm! Don’t do that — moderate your usage to cut down on bills.”

Here’s how your weekend is looking across the country.

ADELAIDE

The South Australian capital will have a scorcher this weekend with the mercury expected to hit 41C. Adelaide is already getting a taste for the hot weekend with temperatures reaching 37C today. Rain is expected late on Sunday which will also bring down the temperature substantially to 26C.

MELBOURNE

Melbourne is heading for its hottest day in two years on Saturday with highs of 41C expected. But after struggling through Saturday, Melburnians will be treated to a cool change overnight and see a drastic 20 degree drop. Temperatures will struggle to hit 21C on Sunday.

HOBART

A total fire ban is in place for Tasmanians this weekend as some of the island state’s towns will have their hottest days in years. Hobart will swelter through a 33C Saturday but a cool change on Sunday will drop the temperature back to 23C.

CANBERRA

The nation’s capital is set to sizzle. Today, the mercury will hit 33C, Saturday will be worse at 36C and Sunday will be the hottest of all at 38C. Rain isn’t expected until at least Tuesday with showers increasing next Thursday.

SYDNEY

Sydneysiders won’t see their weekend properly heat up until Sunday when temperatures are expected to hit 38C. Despite that, Saturday will still reach 31C and today is heading for tops of 28C. A cool change will bring showers by next Tuesday.

BRISBANE

Queensland’s capital will enjoy nice summer weather for days. Temperatures are expected to sit in the low-30s for the weekend and much of next week. Rain is expected next Wednesday.

DARWIN

As per usual, the Top End is going to be hot and wet this weekend and for much of next week. Temperatures will be past the 30s and thunderstorms are possible every day. Humidity will also be extremely high making the nights especially sticky.

PERTH

The west coast capital is going to be a little more pleasant than the east coast’s record-breaking weather. Perth will be a model of summertime weather this weekend with temperatures expected to rise from 27C today through to 31C on Sunday and 33C on Monday. Clear skies are expected every day. The state’s scorching conditions today are also expected to subside after an expected cool change this afternoon.