8h agoMon 12 Jan 2026 at 12:08amStay updated with the latest warnings from emergency services<\/p>\n
In an emergency, the ABC will broadcast regular warnings on ABC Radio.<\/p>\n
You can find your local frequency here<\/a>.<\/p>\n For more information, including a map of all the warnings, visit ABC Emergency<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n State authorities also have their own alerts and incidents pages.<\/p>\n Just nowMon 12 Jan 2026 at 8:10am<\/p>\n Harcourt couple robbed of their first official night home<\/p>\n Ben Lawrence and his partner Danika were supposed to spend their first official night in the new home on Friday. But it was destroyed by an out-of-control grassfire before they ever got the chance.<\/p>\n The ABC’s Anna McGuinness has this story:<\/p>\n 11m agoMon 12 Jan 2026 at 7:58am<\/p>\n Engadine Rural Fire Brigade crew are safely home<\/p>\n The Engadine <\/b>Rural Fire Brigade service, have posted on Facebook that their crew have returned home safely.<\/p>\n The crew from NSW helped save the save the village of Yarck <\/b>from the Longwood <\/b>Fire.<\/p>\n “They managed to defend & save some houses, but could not save all as the situation was overwhelming for the small number of fire trucks in the town” the brigade said in the post.<\/p>\n \u201cThey were unable to leave that evening as all roads out of town were blocked from large fallen trees. Locals took them in and kindly gave them a bed for the night.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The crew were able to leave the next day and travelled to the Puckapunyal Army barracks for two nights, while assisting with other fires.<\/p>\n \u201cWelcome home team, we are proud of you and very glad to have you back safely.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Emergency services are hoping residents from the town of Harcourt <\/b>in central Victoria will be able to return to their homes permanently from tomorrow.<\/p>\n Harcourt <\/b>has been among the hardest hit communities, with 47 homes and three businesses destroyed by the fire burning at Ravenswood South.<\/b><\/p>\n Locals with proof of their identity and residency are allowed to return in a window from 5pm to 10pm today, but must leave.<\/p>\n Bendigo incident controller Michael Masters warned residents about the emotional toll to be expected from returning to a bushfire impacted home.<\/p>\n “The return to properties after an emergency is always a traumatic event,” he said.<\/p>\n “You need to be prepared for that if that’s what you choose to do.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n 40m agoMon 12 Jan 2026 at 7:30am<\/p>\n Finding the ABC’s bushfire coverage<\/p>\n Does ABC NEWS have a list of articles (dedicated page for finding them) we can read about the Melbourne Bushfires? been struggling to find some accurate articles to read about the ongoing situations.<\/p>\n – Cody Bjorksten<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Hi Cody,<\/p>\n The best bet would be to search the ABC News website by topic.<\/a><\/p>\n Here’s a link to all the bushfire stories that my colleagues have written in the past few days.<\/p>\n 53m agoMon 12 Jan 2026 at 7:16amThreat reduced in Victoria’s north-west<\/p>\n The spread of a bushfire burning in Victoria’s north-west has been slowed.<\/p>\n Residents in the communities of Baring, Big Desert, Boinka, Linga, Patchewollock, Torrita, Underbool<\/b> and Walpeup<\/b>\u00a0are being told it is safe to return to the area.<\/p>\n But authorities warn residents must monitor conditions, and be aware of potential hazards such as trees and powerlines.<\/p>\n The fire, which began burning last Thursday south of Boinka<\/b>, has burned through more than 55,000 hectares of land.<\/p>\n 59m agoMon 12 Jan 2026 at 7:10am<\/p>\n Update on the Otways fires<\/p>\n Just wondering how close to Colac, the Chapple Vale fire has travelled. Also how many hectares have been burnt so far?<\/p>\n – Merv Wilson<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Hi Merv,<\/p>\n The latest information we have to hand is that the fire at Carlisle River<\/b>\u00a0is headed away from\u00a0Colac<\/b>, and is currently burning\u00a0in a\u00a0north-westerly\u00a0direction towards\u00a0Bungador<\/b>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Firefighters have been able to slow the spread for now, but communities in\u00a0Swan Marsh <\/b>and Bungador <\/b>have been asked to stay informed, as the situation may change rapidly.<\/p>\n The two fires in the Otways are still burning out of control, with the Carlisle River<\/b> fire burning through more than 3,300 hectares<\/b>, and the Kennedys Creek fire<\/b> burning through more than 3,400 hectares<\/b>.<\/p>\n 1h agoMon 12 Jan 2026 at 6:55am<\/p>\n How to help an injured animal if you see wildlife in distress Native animals<\/b> are significantly impacted by bushfires but timely intervention can help.<\/p>\n Wildlife Victoria<\/b> says kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, possums, wombats, birds and reptiles can all suffer burns to their feet and tails, as well as smoke inhalation, dehydration and infection.<\/p>\n If you come across injured animals, you can report it to Wildlife Victoria online<\/a>\u00a0at any time or by calling their emergency response line on (03) 8400 7300<\/b>.<\/p>\n Wildlife Victoria says:<\/p>\n 1h agoMon 12 Jan 2026 at 6:40am<\/p>\n Father-of-three shares pain of losing family home<\/p>\n Farmer and winemaker Matt Fowles rushed back from his summer holiday to try and save his property from the Longwood <\/b>fire in central Victoria, but he wasn’t successful.<\/p>\n Speaking with ABC’s Joe O’Brien, he says he can’t explain how “logjammed his head is” as he tries to understand what has happened and what will come next for him and his family.<\/p>\n “Took me six hours to get home, flames were already licking both sides of the road \u2014 I just charged through, which was pretty frightening,” he says.<\/p>\n “I made my way around to the house and it was all on within 10 minutes \u2014 the whole yard was alight. The radiant heat was extreme.<\/p>\n “I’ve done a lot of time with the CFA but the pace of the fire was extraordinary, frightening. I’ve seen a lot of fires and I’ve never witnessed something like that.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The father of three girls lost his home and 1,000 sheep, but the winery was saved.<\/p>\n “We’ve lived and breathed this property for 20 years \u2014 it was my life’s work,” he says.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Mr Fowles says his next priority is finding somewhere for his family to live. So far, he has been offered 10 different houses.<\/p>\n He says he’s overwhelmed by the kindness of others.<\/p>\n “I’ve gotten probably a thousand text messages from the local community and the wine industry, and people are saying we’ll drop tools, we’ll get down there, we’ll come help, as far as Western Australia. It’s just extraordinary.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n 1h agoMon 12 Jan 2026 at 6:30amLongwood bushfire victim identified as Max Hobson<\/p>\n Max Hobson has been identified as the person whose body was found metres from a car following the Longwood <\/b>bushfire.<\/p>\n Mr Hobson, with his wife Julie, operated Aintree Farm Herefords at Terip Terip<\/b>, near Euroa<\/b>.<\/p>\n For more, head to our story below:<\/p>\n 1h agoMon 12 Jan 2026 at 6:30amSCC working to address farmer frustration with roadblocks<\/p>\n State Control Centre spokesperson Josh Gamble says a permit system has been put in place to allow essential services to go through roadblocks.<\/p>\n The permit system was introduced at 10am today, after frustrated farmers raised concerns about roadblocks hindering efforts to deliver food to starved animals.<\/p>\n The SCC said it was “well aware” of the issue, and it had come to their attention following media reports and through the Incident Control Centre.<\/p>\n “We’ve been able to ascertain what’s exactly occurred [and] we acknowledge the challenge that’s occurred, and we’ve been able to put a response in place,” he said.<\/p>\n “Particularly around the escorting of the trucks to get to the farmers to bring feed in and now we’ve got set intervals at 8:30 in the morning, 12:30 in the afternoon and 3:30 in the afternoon to allow for an hour trip in and out, escorted by CFA and Forest Fire Management assets to assist them in these dangerous fire areas.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Mr Gamble said the roadblocks were put in place to prevent anyone who did not actually live in the area to potentially gain access to properties.<\/p>\n “We acknowledge that in this instance, after a further assessment, that we needed to relax that criteria and as such \u2026 [we’ve] been able to relax it and put a permit program in to allow that essential services such as repair, and goods such as fodder, to go through to these farmers, which is great news,” he said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n 1h agoMon 12 Jan 2026 at 6:18amWhere to get assistance if you’re affected by bushfires<\/p>\n More help has been promised to Victorians affected by the devastating bushfires, including a $52,000 grant for eligible uninsured households.<\/p>\n To find out how to access help, you can read this guide put together by the ABC’s Larissa Ham:<\/p>\n 2h agoMon 12 Jan 2026 at 6:05amExtremely poor air quality forecast across Victoria<\/p>\n Smoke from the bushfires is expected to impact large swathes of Victoria in the next 24 hours, with several regions expected to have the lowest air quality rating of “Extremely Poor”.<\/p>\n The Environmental Protection Authority Victoria has the following warnings for these districts:<\/p>\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/lcimg-5e0e0d3b-8532-4872-a916-53366804f97e.jpeg\")
(Facebook: NSW RFS)![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/lcimg-f4a2c9f6-eecf-448b-83eb-3367408e56c6.jpeg\")
(Facebook: NSW RFS)<\/p>\n\n
\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/lcimg-58142a4c-5f8d-4a21-963e-5493175d9c53.jpeg\")
(Facebook: NSW RFS)![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/lcimg-694cd769-4882-487c-9022-f416cee9cd76.jpeg\")
(Facebook: NSW RFS)25m agoMon 12 Jan 2026 at 7:45amHarcourt residents to return home briefly tonight<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/lcimg-46437d3d-f3b2-439d-9da9-c6cc601cf1fb.jpeg\")
Dozens of homes have been destroyed in Harcourt. (ABC News: Guido Salazar)<\/p>\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/lcimg-2ab4b362-2ba0-4201-83e8-dc5c1fdf3fea.jpeg\")
The spread of the fire near Ravenswood South has slowed. (ABC News: Guido Salazar)<\/p>\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/lcimg-54c24213-37eb-4fb7-b750-ad45cc9acb31.png\")
(VicEmergency)<\/p>\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/lcimg-f1bbbb82-c65d-43f3-80a3-03c82a6c45f6.png\")
(VicEmergency)<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/lcimg-50b843a4-4a4d-46dd-abf7-bd35f05b533f.jpeg\")
Native animals can be affected by bushfires for months. (ABC: Danielle Bonica)<\/p>\n![\"Cockatoos](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/lcimg-5915eb3e-7853-45e5-867a-7fba7e15dd70.jpeg\")
Cockatoos in the aftermath of the fires at Harcourt. (ABC: Danielle Bonica)<\/p>\n\n
\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/lcimg-7cbe127d-bcb3-433e-bacf-f1c04e716ca9.jpeg\")
Matt Fowles spoke with ABC News Channel. (ABC News)<\/p>\n\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
Bright<\/b> currently Very Poor, Wangaratta <\/b>Extremely Poor.<\/li>\n
![\"Daniela](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/lcimg-79323170-faaa-49b2-93df-8fd14e1f9be9.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Judd](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/lcimg-3585d295-37d7-423d-86fa-c3dffd853d37.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Rudi](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/lcimg-12a3ae59-224e-4559-945f-80b459cd175b.jpeg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/lcimg-e0cc873c-2a50-47c5-81ac-a5d70034544b.png\")
The fire near Skipton is now contained. (VicEmergency)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/lcimg-73c52a1f-70fe-486d-99f5-f4702e054bf8.jpeg\")
(Supplied)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/lcimg-4cde6a7f-dc64-4cfb-af04-6fadb9d549dd.jpeg\")
(Supplied)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/lcimg-b0676e80-3ae6-44eb-9fd9-df0415195c5d.jpeg\")
Luke and Christina Fay\u00a0 (ABC News: Eden Hynninen)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/lcimg-b5348d20-6e33-418a-aa26-497bc3cb6018.jpeg\")
(ABC News: Eden Hynninen)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/lcimg-54ea75d8-61a3-4811-ad20-ec23fd25097d.jpeg\")
(Supplied: Sikh Volunteers Australia)![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/lcimg-4cd7a4b3-f037-4ad3-8dda-7caf2f60cacc.jpeg\")
(Supplied: Sikh Volunteers Australia)![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/lcimg-f091c0f5-ef13-435b-9d46-c7d371bd21a0.jpeg\")
(Supplied: Sikh Volunteers Australia)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/lcimg-a2e165db-3a05-418d-bdeb-ebee43f088b7.png\")
Rural Aid CEO John Waters. (ABC News)<\/p>\n