Grampians bushfire creating its own weather as more than 100 bushfires rage across south-east Australia

Updated

A massive 33,000-hectare bushfire in Victoria's Grampians has caused significant concern for firefighters by creating its own weather.

The fire has caused a 12-kilometre convection column that has created thunderstorms and lightning.

Today, officials confirmed that a woman died in the Grampians fire whilst at least two homes were destroyed in South Australia's Eden Valley north-east of Adelaide.

Firefighters had to battle another day of stifling conditions and while a cool change is predicted, it is bringing wind gusts of up to 120kph that have the potential to start new bushfires.

ABC weather expert Graham Creed says a pyrocumulus cloud in the Grampians was triggered by heat and intense updrafts, and could result in damaging winds as well as potentially large hail.

"Basically the heat [from the fire] and intense updrafts trigger the cloud to develop," he said.

"It has triggered lightning strikes and it will be sitting over the top of the region, but [there is] probably not enough moisture in it to trigger any rainfall.

"So unfortunately [we are] not seeing any real benefit from that."

Emergency information Keep up to date with the latest developments on our live blog

Emergency warnings remain in place in Victoria: across the Grampians and in other parts of the state including at Club Terrace and Glenaladale in the south east and near Tempy in the Mallee.

across the Grampians and in other parts of the state including at Club Terrace and Glenaladale in the south east and near Tempy in the Mallee. Evacuation centre: 49-51 Houston Street, Stawell, Victoria

49-51 Houston Street, Stawell, Victoria Emergency warnings in South Australia: Marne Park, Eden Valley, Bangor in the Southern Flinders Ranges, at Owen south east of Balaklava

Marne Park, Eden Valley, Bangor in the Southern Flinders Ranges, at Owen south east of Balaklava Emergency relief centre: Lyons Football Club, Mary Elie Street Port Pirie

Lyons Football Club, Mary Elie Street Port Pirie Victoria Country Fire Authority website

South Australia Country Fire Service website

More than 100 bushfires are already burning across Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales as a searing heatwave grips Australia's south-east and pushes temperatures above 40 degrees.

In Victoria, there are 68 bushfires burning across the state; in South Australia hundreds of firefighters are battling 20 blazes; and in NSW there are 43 blazes burning.

Authorities have now confirmed the death at Roses Gap, north of Halls Gap appears to be fire related.

There are also reports that houses in the same area have been lost and properties have been completely burnt out by what locals describe as a "vicious" fire.

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Ken Lay says police believe 12 of the 68 fires have been deliberately lit.

He said detectives are investigating the suspected arson attacks.

"There are people out there at the moment that are deliberating lighting fires," he said.

Residents in some communities have been told to leave now while they still can but others have been told it is too late to flee and the must take shelter immediately.

Victoria's Country Fire Authority chief officer Euan Ferguson says a serious situation is developing, with fears a wind change will worsen conditions.

Key points More than 100 bushfires are burning across Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales

One woman killed in Grampians fire at Roses Gap

At least two homes in South Australia's Eden Valley have been destroyed

A 12-kilometre convection column, known as a pyrocumulonimbus cloud, has been creating its own weather above the Grampians fire

A cool change is predicted to bring wind gusts of up to 120kph, potentially starting new fires

12 of the 68 fires in Victoria are believed to have been deliberately lit

"We want to warn the community that many losses historically have occurred after the wind change," he said.

Evacuation recommendations are in place for some communities in the Northern Grampians with authorities fearing they will not be able to stop the blaze in today's extreme conditions.

Authorities are also contacting residents in the communities of Halls Gap, Pomonal and Dadswell Bridge.

In Halls Gap, hotels and motels are empty, police are doorknocking homes and there is a steady stream of people leaving after locals were told to get out, with the fire expected to hit the town at 3:00pm (AEDT).

Laharum resident Lee Hutchinson fled towards South Australia with his wife and two children around 4:00am (AEDT) when he could see the blaze from his lounge room.

"Huge masses of trees igniting. Probably flames reaching 40, 50, up to 100 feet in the air so it was fairly intense," he said.

CFA officials are also flying over central Victoria and Gippsland to assess how many fires have been started by lightning there overnight.

Evacuations as fire burns towards properties in South Australia

In South Australia, a bushfire is burning out of control at Eden Valley, north of Adelaide and residents are being told to leave if it is safe to do so.

Several properties were evacuated near the Victorian border overnight, where a fire is burning close to the Ngarkat Conservation Park.

A wind change early this morning pushed the fire out of the park and towards properties, forcing some, like Robyn Verrall, to spend the night defending their homes.

"We actually back onto the Mount Rescue Ngarkat, so we actually had fire come through at about 8:00pm last night," she said.

"It's pretty big and we're still surrounded by smoke and lots of red sky."

State Coordinator Brenton Eden says a fire burning at Bangor, near Port Germein in the state's mid-north, is expected to threaten the townships of Napperby and Nelsheby today.

"Today is not looking like a good day for a fire fight, it will be a major effort," he said.

Longtime resident describes 'vicious, fast' fire

Longtime Grampians resident Ivan Smith says the fire almost took out his property overnight.

"It would have been right through our place but the wind changed and took it down due south then," he said.

Mr Smith says he he is not planning on leaving despite the warning from authorities.

"We've got work to do. We will have burnt sheep to attend to and we've got some sheep that we think we've saved and they have to be trucked to some fresh grassland somewhere," he said.

He says his property was burnt out in 1957, but this fire seems much worse.

"I think this is a more vicious fire. I don't think I've ever seen a fire burn so fast and cover such an area at night as this one," he said.

Meanwhile, the NSW Rural Fire Service has planes and crews on standby across the state and total fire bans are in place for the Southern Ranges, Southern Slopes, Monaro Alpine and Far South Coast districts.

The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting a cool change to come in across the country's south-east on the weekend.

Topics: bushfire, fires, disasters-and-accidents, weather, australia, act, sa, vic, dadswells-bridge-3385, halls-gap-3381, ballarat-3350

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