Victoria is facing its highest fire danger rating in five years on Boxing Day, with extreme heat and strong winds predicted. Hundreds of firefighters are on standby to battle blazes across the state, with some expecting conditions to be as bad as the Black Summer bushfires.
Victoria n firefighters are bracing themselves for very challenging conditions on Boxing Day with soaring temperatures and high winds. While many Australians will be sitting down to enjoy a Christmas lunch with loved ones today, hundreds of firefighters are gearing up to battle bushfires on what could be the worst fire danger rating for Victoria in five years. Authorities are warning conditions could be the worst the state has experienced since the Black Summer bushfires five years ago.
On Boxing Day, temperatures are forecast to hit the mid-40s in parts of the state, with troublesome hot, northerly winds predicted to blow ahead of a gusty westerly change. There will be an extreme fire danger risk for all parts of Victoria, except for East Gippsland where a high fire danger is forecast. The forecast is trouble for crews battling to contain a bushfire that had burnt through more than 40,000 hectares in the Grampians, alongside blazes in central Victoria at Bullengarook and at The Gurdies in the east of the state. Firefighters sacrifice family time for fire preparation CFA volunteer Leigh Dwyer is one of the many firefighters sacrificing their holidays in order to help the community. 'I focus on people, so I'm not really thinking about Christmas,' she said. 'non-existent to be truthful. I've got a farm down the road, I'm actually preparing to be burnt out. 'I've got plenty of anxiety but I've been in it long enough to know that this is just going to happen,' she said. 'If I'm not around at the farm there's no chance of me saving it, so just go out and do what you do for the community.' She said the response to the fires from the community had been 'epic', with everyone doing their part to prepare. A base camp for fire crews has been set up in Ballarat's Victoria Park in anticipation of the spike. From tomorrow, about 250 firefighters from CFA and Forest Fire Management will be stationed at the camp, which has showers, kitchen and accommodation facilitie
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