More Residents Leave as Authorities Renew Dire Warning in Victoria

Victorians are waiting out catastrophic fire conditions as more residents near Ballarat are ordered to leave. The Bayindeen bushfire northwest of Ballarat burned through more than 22,000 hectares ahead of temperatures in the high 30Cs and high wind gusts on Feb. 28. Horsham in the Wimmera region, where the fire danger was catastrophic, recorded a wind gust of 96km/h after 5pm and was still sitting on 30C a couple of hours later. The majority of people in fire danger zones left by midday on Feb. 28, but some stayed to protect their properties, prompting a warning from the State Control Centre the worst may be yet to come....