Scramble to Set up Camp Ahead of Extreme Fire Danger in Victoria

Officials are rushing to set up a long-term base camp for hundreds of firefighters while more than half of Victoria is on high alert for extreme bushfire conditions. The Wimmera region is slated to have catastrophic fire danger on Feb. 28, while extreme fire danger is predicted for five of Victoria’s nine total weather districts. Temperatures are tipped to hit mid-30C to 40C across the state, with the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting the mercury to top 43C in Mildura in the northwest and winds of up to 40km/h. More than 500 firefighters were still battling the Bayindeen blaze, northwest of Ballarat, on Monday....