One Dead and 300 Buildings Destroyed in Australian Bushfires

Sun Jan 11 2026 21:29:39 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A state of emergency has been declared in Victoria, Australia, as raging bushfires lead to the death of one individual and the destruction of over 300 homes and buildings, with thousands of firefighters deployed to combat the flames.

Bushfires in South-East Australia have wreaked havoc, causing one death and damaging more than 300 structures predominantly in Victoria. With emergency services deployed and conditions remaining perilous, the fires could burn for weeks. Authorities reflect on the devastating impact reminiscent of previous catastrophic seasons.

One person has died and 300 homes and buildings have been destroyed in bushfires that have torn across south-east Australia.

The fires have raged in dozens of locations across the country for several days, mostly in the state of Victoria, but also in New South Wales, burning through land almost twice the size of Greater London.

A state of emergency has been declared in Victoria as thousands of firefighters and more than 70 aircraft battled the blaze. Residents in more than a dozen communities have been advised to leave their homes.

The authorities fear the blazes, which are being fuelled by very hot, dry and windy conditions, could burn for several weeks.

Victoria's Premier, Jacinta Allan, remarked that 30 active fires were burning across the state, ten of which were a particular concern. As of the latest reports, 350,000 hectares had been burnt across the state.

Human remains were found in the village of Gobur, near Longwood, north of Melbourne; the victim has not yet been identified.

Allan praised emergency responders, stating that it takes a heavy toll to retrieve bodies in such devastating circumstances. Smoke from the fires is significantly affecting air quality throughout regions, including metropolitan Melbourne.

With reports indicating that the ongoing fires mark the worst bushfire incident in southeast Australia since the catastrophic 2019-2020 season, communities are coming to grips with the aftermath, reflecting on losses and on-going risks.

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