Four people remain unaccounted for in East Gippsland, the area in Victoria most affected by the fires, with grave concerns for their well being.

Two men – a father and son – were confirmed dead in the NSW town of Cobargo today. Another man is missing in NSW. For more on the fires in NSW bushfires please see our story on the bushfires there.

In Victoria, there are 33 fires burning with at least a dozen new blazes sparked by lightning in the alpine region on Tuesday.

Seven emergency warnings – the highest alert – remain in place across East Gippsland, where fire has so far ripped through more than 230,000 hectares. Across the state, fire has damaged 400,000 hectares. Another emergency warning is in place for a fire straddling the Victoria-NSW border at Corryong/Walwa. So far 19 structures have been confirmed destroyed in Sarsfield and 24 in Buchan.

About 4000 people flocked to a beach in Mallacoota, in East Gippsland. The sky above the town turned an eerie blood red. Cheers reportedly went up when the wind changed direction and the fires moved away from the area.

Thousands of homes have lost power, with AusNet Services reporting electricity has gone out at 5700 properties in East Gippsland and another 1800 in northeast Victoria. The energy company said it could take days to restore power.

In South Australia, police are treating a bushfire near Kangaroo Island as suspicious. The fire at Second Valley was first reported after 1pm on Tuesday and has burnt more than 28 hectares.