VIC Heat & Bushfire Warnings - 08 JAN 2026
Heatwave conditions reported -- worst since Black Summer 2020!
This Sky News report at 12:35 PM Thursday, 8th January 2026 ~ extreme fire danger in Victoria!
This is part of a news.com article by Eli Green;
“An out-of-control bushfire has destroyed at least two buildings and is putting lives at risk in Victoria’s north, with authorities warning conditions will be “catastrophic” by Friday.
Two emergency bushfire warnings and two watch and act warnings have been issued to areas surrounding the blaze that is ripping through Longwood.
The alert has been issued for Locksley, Longwood, Longwood East, Ruffy, Tarcombe, Upton Hill, Dropmore, Ruffy, Avenel, Caveat, Highlands and Terip Terip – all roughly 150km north of Melbourne.
The warning urges affected residents to “leave immediately”.”
Source: incidents and warnings ~ vicemergency
This heatwave map from the Bureau of Meteorology highlights the weather severity.
Source: Bureau of Meteorology
This map below shows one particular area under threat, unfortunately no map scale was provided.
Source: news.com
According to Forest Fire Management Victoria chief fire officer Chris Hardman, lightning across much of the state on Thursday and Friday meant that, “ fires (would) be ignited.” He further stated;
“The forests and the grasslands are already dry - those lightning bands will hit the ground, and fires will kick off really quickly, and any fire that can’t be pulled up immediately will be unsuppressible,” he said.
“It will be uncontrollable & beyond our capability.”
Source: news.com
ABC TV News broadcast this report below from Wodonga, VIC this morning —Thursday 8th January 2026.
Source: ABC TV News
About the fire-fighting vehicle below…
Details were sent to Australian political, civilian and military leaders years ago.
This 2010 era armoured fire-fighting vehicle is just one of several state-of-the-art vehicles that have never been deployed in Australia?
Source: youtube ~ Löschpanzer von Airmatic
Significance
How many more fire-fighters, citizens, businesses, communities, farmers and wildfire need to be sacrificed, before these state-of-the-art vehicles are utilised?
Further reading: Fighting Bushfires ~ Lessons from Remembrance Day
Call To Action
For Australians, living in Victoria — contact your Senators and ask them these hard questions;
“When will you Table this research in Parliament - OR - are you comfortable with losing more Aussie lives, livelihoods, businesses and communities, to Wildfires?”
Victorian Senators — With Contact Links!
Australian Labor Party:
Senators Raff Ciccone, Lisa Darmanin, Jana Stewart, and Jess Walsh.Liberal Party of Australia:
Senators Jane Hume and James Paterson.Australian Greens: Senator Steph Hodgins-May.
The Nationals: Senator Bridget McKenzie.
United Australia Party: Senator Ralph Babet.
Independent: Senator Lidia Thorpe.
Significance
As at 2nd August 2026, there are currently 407 wildfires burning across the EU Zone.
Weather forecasts indicate that Australia is entering an Super El Niño Event for Summer 2026 - 2027 — a weather pattern known for Very High Fire Danger!
In 2007 — this author warned the Victorian govt, military and fire-fighting agencies about the serious likelihood of a wildfire event, similar to the Ash Wednesday Disaster.
All we heard —— were Crickets!