One Fatality in Australian Wildfires Expected to Rage for Weeks Ahead

Tragedy has struck in the Australian state of Victoria, where one person has died in wildfires that have ravaged an area slightly larger than Rhode Island.

The body was discovered approximately 100 meters from a vehicle near the fire-affected town of Gobur, located about 100 kilometers (62 miles) northeast of Melbourne. Victoria Police reported on Sunday that the individual has yet to be formally identified.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan provided an update, stating that 32 active fires are currently burning across the state, with 10 classified as major fires. In total, around 350,000 hectares (1,350 square miles) have been scorched, highlighting the severity of the situation.

“We are not through the worst of this by a long way,” Allan emphasized during a press conference. “A number of these large fires, the complex fires, will continue to burn for several weeks.”

In response to the crisis, both state and federal governments have announced an initial support package of A$19.5 million ($13 million) for those affected by the fires. This disaster has already resulted in the destruction of over 300 buildings, including numerous homes.

Victoria has a long history of devastating bushfires, having experienced Australia’s worst-ever fires in 2009. Authorities have warned that conditions could worsen in certain areas, even as the current heatwave begins to ease.

Photograph: A bushfire burning near the town of Longwood, northern Victoria, Australia on Jan. 7, 2025. Photo credit: Kylie Shingles/CFA Wandong Fire Brigade/AFP/Getty Images

Copyright 2026 Bloomberg.

Topics
Catastrophe
Natural Disasters
Wildfire
Numbers
Australia

Tragedy has struck in the Australian state of Victoria, where one person has died in wildfires that have ravaged an area slightly larger than Rhode Island.

The body was discovered approximately 100 meters from a vehicle near the fire-affected town of Gobur, located about 100 kilometers (62 miles) northeast of Melbourne. Victoria Police reported on Sunday that the individual has yet to be formally identified.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan provided an update, stating that 32 active fires are currently burning across the state, with 10 classified as major fires. In total, around 350,000 hectares (1,350 square miles) have been scorched, highlighting the severity of the situation.

“We are not through the worst of this by a long way,” Allan emphasized during a press conference. “A number of these large fires, the complex fires, will continue to burn for several weeks.”

In response to the crisis, both state and federal governments have announced an initial support package of A$19.5 million ($13 million) for those affected by the fires. This disaster has already resulted in the destruction of over 300 buildings, including numerous homes.

Victoria has a long history of devastating bushfires, having experienced Australia’s worst-ever fires in 2009. Authorities have warned that conditions could worsen in certain areas, even as the current heatwave begins to ease.

Photograph: A bushfire burning near the town of Longwood, northern Victoria, Australia on Jan. 7, 2025. Photo credit: Kylie Shingles/CFA Wandong Fire Brigade/AFP/Getty Images

Copyright 2026 Bloomberg.

Topics
Catastrophe
Natural Disasters
Wildfire
Numbers
Australia