
LATEST ON VICTORIAN BUSHFIRE SITUATION:
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* Twelve active major bushfires
* No emergency warnings after Walwa and Otways fires downgraded to watch and act
* 20 watch and act warnings and 20 advice warnings remain
* Over 500 structures lost across Victoria in the fires
* More than 404,000 hectares burned this bushfire season
* At least 16,500 livestock confirmed lost, including about 1000 cattle
* A trailer sparking along the Hume Freeway is being investigated as one potential cause of the deadly Longwood fire
* High fire danger rating for Mallee, Wimmera, South West, Northern Country, North Central and North East districts
* Moderate fire danger for Central, West and South Gippsland and East Gippsland regions
* Advice warning issued statewide for air quality, with forecast poor for all areas except Central

IMPACT ACROSS THE FIRE GROUNDS
HARCOURT
* 51 homes and three businesses and 23 outbuildings destroyed
* Livestock and agricultural impacts
OTWAYS
* One structure lost and a range of other outbuildings being assessed
NATIMUK
* 17 homes and 18 outbuildings damaged by fire
* 40 power poles impacted
LONGWOOD
* Burning over 144,000 hectares with a perimeter of over 400 kilometres
* 90 homes destroyed
* 243 outbuildings destroyed or damaged
* Power poles and other infrastructure also lost
* No decision made to move patients at an aged care facility in Eildon
STREATHAM
* 15 homes and 39 outbuildings lost
WALWA
* Four houses lost
* 28 kilometres of fencing and over 10,000 hectares of plantation pine destroyed
YARROWEE
* 12 structures lost
* Over 3500 hectares of farmland and horticultural areas razed
MOUNT MERCER
* One house destroyed
DARGO (WONNANGATTA COMPLEX)
* One house lost and others being investigated

RECOVERY OPERATIONS UNDERWAY
* Significant work being done in fire-affected communities to reopen roads for primary producers and local residents
* Road between Alexandra and Yea and Alexandra and Yarck conditionally opened for essential services and people providing agricultural relief at certain times of the day
* Fire escorts at 8.30am, 12.30pm and 3.30pm every day for relief crews
* Over 100 roads, stretching 155 kilometres closed across the state
* Great Ocean Road has reopened with no restrictions
FINANCIAL SUPPORTS AVAILABLE
* Nearly 800 applications for Victoria's emergency personal hardship payments, a one-off payment of $680 per adult and $340 per child and up to $2380 per eligible family
* $5 million government investment to waive fees at local landfills in 18 fire-affected local government areas
* Emergency Recovery Hotline established: 1800 560 760
* Six relief centres and four recovery hubs established where people can go to get significant support from a range of government agencies
* Victorian bushfire appeal fund opens to donations
* Household re-establishment grant of up to $52,250 for uninsured people who don't have building and contents insurance
* $10 million initial allocation for a bushfire clean up program for uninsured and underinsured households who've lost their primary place of residence to start their clean up
Sources: State Control Centre, Victorian Farmers Federation, Emergency Management Commissioner and Victorian government
Australian Associated Press










