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Three people are missing in central Victoria and many properties have been destroyed as out-of-control bushfires escalate in catastrophic hot and windy conditions.

There are dozens of fires statewide, including a concerning blaze around the town of Longwood putting thousands of residents under threat, with conditions described as one of the most dangerous bushfire days the state has seen in years

A major heatwave has swept across Australia’s south-east, with temperatures forecast to reach 43 in Melbourne and up to 47 in parts of inland Victoria on Friday.

Properties have been lost in Longwood and the nearby town of Ruffy, including a destroyed school, while a separate fire in the border town of Walwa has badly damages a pine tree plantation.

Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Bob Hill said three people, including a child, advised to shelter in their property in Longwood East were unaccounted for.

“The risks are so high they needed to take shelter – it was too late for them to leave,” he said.

“Later that afternoon, those same fire service representatives attended to see their house … had been completely destroyed.”

Wind gusts of up to 90 km/h and a severe thunderstorm risk could cause erratic fire behaviour.

“Any fires in our landscape today … will be uncontrollable, unpredictable and will be very fast moving,” Emergency Management Commissioner Tim Wiebusch said.

“If you’re in a bushfire prone area … if you haven’t left already, if you don’t leave now, it could result in your life being lost.”

Some 40 fires had been reported on Friday morning, with 30 still active at 10.30am.

Country Fire Authority captain George Noye, who lives in the regional town of Ruffy, near the Longwood fire, said a school and at least 10 properties have been destroyed.

He said a member of his crew is in hospital with third-degree burns to his hands.

“It’s like a bomb has gone off, we got smashed by the fire spots,” Noye told AAP.

Fire crews are continuing to attack two major out-of-control blazes, with the Longwood fire razing more than 35,000 hectares, while flames near Walwa and Mount Lawson along the Victoria-NSW border have burnt over 17,000 hectares.

The Walwa and Mount Lawson fire is not expected to be contained for weeks.

State Control Centre spokesman David Nugent told AAP on Friday morning that 30 new fires had been sparked overnight after significant lightning activity.

He said at least 10,000 lightning strikes were recorded in the state’s east.

“This is a pretty challenging scenario for us for today,” Nugent said.

He confirmed at least two structures had been lost in the Longwood fire, although that number is expected to climb.

The strong winds could ground the firefighting air fleet.

“It’s every chance at some point the aircraft may not be able to fly,” CFA chief Jason Heffernan said.

“We can expect if a fire takes hold, and we see the fire spread the way they’re going, they’re going to be uncontrollable. They’re going to be unstoppable.”

Thousands of people across the state are also without power, including in fire-affected areas.

A statewide Total Fire Ban has been declared for Victoria today, with Catastrophic Fire Danger Ratings in the South West, Wimmera, Northern Country and North Central districts, and Extreme in all other areas.

Stay informed https://t.co/RP7QseJMs3

📷 Yea CFA Brigade pic.twitter.com/ExjXcuOhjc

— VicEmergency (@vicemergency) January 8, 2026

Little Yarra CFA captain Peter Cookson, who has been fighting a blaze at Longwood, said the conditions still made him nervous, despite his years of experience.

“It’s all going to be a very bad day,” he told AAP.

“We all prepare for these days, and if nothing happens, that is a win.

“But you can’t say nothing will happen – with these things, they can all start from a spark.”

Paramedics and first responders in catastrophic fire danger areas will be withdrawn on Friday and will only be redeployed to these zones for serious or life-threatening illnesses, Ambulance Victoria said.

Strong winds could ground the firefighting air fleet. Photo: AAP

The heatwave is expected to affect the ACT and NSW, where a total fire ban has been declared in the eastern Riverina, southern Riverina, southern slopes and Monaro alpine regions for Friday.

Temperatures will not be quite as high in NSW, with Sydney set to reach a maximum of 33 and Canberra expected to hit a high of 39.

But things will like worsen in the harbour city on Saturday with temperatures expected to reach 42 and an even hotter forecast for the western suburbs.

NSW Ambulance chief superintendent Steve Vaughan urged residents to begin preparing for the hot conditions and stay cool, hydrated, and indoors during the hottest part of the day.

“Heatwaves put real pressure on your body, with consecutive days of relentless heat causing stress that builds up over time,” he said.

Cyclone warning

In Queensland, meanwhile, the tropical north remains on high alert for more flooding as a menacing cyclone lurks off the coast.

A monsoon trough extending across far north Queensland and a tropical low moving slowly towards the coast mean there will be no reprieve for communities that have endured flooding during the New Year period.

The weather bureau said there was a 25 per cent to 45 per cent chance the low could develop into a tropical cyclone before the system crossed the coast, forecast for about lunchtime on Saturday.

Meteorologist Sarah Scully said because the low would not remain over the water for long, it was unlikely to develop into a cyclone any greater than category one in strength.

“Regardless of whether it does develop into a tropical cyclone or not, it is expected to bring a lot of rainfall and wind to the coast,” Scully said.

She said six-hour rainfall totals of between 100 millimetres and 180 millimetres were possible, with isolated falls of more than 200 millimetres in coastal areas.

–AAP