SAES on standby as Victorian fires intensify

SAES personnel stocking up supplies in Horsham for last year’s Victorian fires. Image: File

BY KIRRALEE NICOLLE

Salvation Army Emergency Services (SAES) teams in Victoria are currently on standby to provide catering and support to local residents, as bushfires in the centre and North-East of the state continue to threaten communities.

SAES teams are on standby in the towns of Seymour and the suburb of Eltham, on the outskirts of the Melbourne metropolitan zone.

If deployed, they will provide assistance to fire crews and residents in Wodonga, where a relief centre will possibly be opened to cater to residents of towns including Thologolonh, Bungil and Koetong who are fleeing a fire in the region, and Longwood, where fire crews are working to control a blaze threatening multiple towns, including Highlands, Ruffy, Tarcombe, Upton Hill, Dropmore and Avenel.

The fires follow days of extreme and catastrophic heat across Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania and South Australia, with some areas reaching temperatures above 45 degrees.

Four regions of Victoria – the South-West, Wimmera, North Central and Northern Country – are facing catastrophic fire danger, with all other regions rated as extreme.

Follow for more updates as we continue to check in with SAES crews in the region.