Bushfire season takes toll with hundreds of homes lost

Hundreds of Australian families have lost their homes to bushfires across recent months, with authorities warning the danger period still has months to run.. More than 400 homes have been destroyed by fires in Victoria alone, according to the latest figures cited by federal Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain.. "Over 400,000 hectares of land has been burnt in Victoria to date, and it is really important that communities continue to heed the advice of emergency services," Ms McBain said on Wednesday..

"Those assessments will continue but the losses already in Victoria, there are over 1300 structures that have been lost, and that includes more than 400 homes at current count." Six major fires continue to burn across the state, including three that remain out of control at Walwa in Victoria's north, Dargo in Gippsland and Carlisle River near Gellibrand.. Authorities are warning fatigued residents not to grow complacent with months of fire danger still ahead.. "We still have two months to go..

Our highest fire risk usually occurs during February and March," National Emergency Management Agency coordinator-general Brendan Moon said on Wednesday.. At least 16 structures have been destroyed in the Carlisle River fire burning in the Otways, which doubled in size after breaking through containment lines on Saturday afternoon.. The blaze is travelling in a northeasterly direction towards the communities of Gellibrand and Kawarren..

A grassfire at Larralea, near Lismore, destroyed eight structures before being declared contained after severe heatwave conditions.. About 5000 homes remained without power on Wednesday afternoon, down from an overnight peak of more than 100,000.. Gellibrand resident Rob Murphy told AAP he decided to evacuate to Colac at the last moment on Monday..

"I had an agreement with my partner that if the (Country Fire Authority) captain came and told me to leave, I would go," he said.. A friend who remained in the small town, normally home to a few hundred people, told him it "smelled like death" after the blaze claimed wildlife and livetstock.  He woke to find a dead sheep slumped at his front door and a farm littered with dead kangaroos, koalas and cattle, Mr Murphy said.. Fires have blackened more than 400,000 hectares of land since the year began, rivalling the estimated 450,000 hectares scorched in the Black Saturday fires of 2009..

Gellibrand residents lost access to clean water on Wednesday after the inferno damaged a local treatment plant.. "This means that there is no tap water available in Gellibrand - any remaining water remains unsafe to drink," an alert posted to the Barwon Water website said.. "Our first priority is providing a temporary drinking water supply and we will have that in place in Gellibrand as soon as we receive clearance from the (Incident Control Centre) that it is safe to do so." Alerts have been downgraded in some areas around the Carlisle River fire, though several remain in place..

Warnings to shelter immediately remained active for Gellibrand, Barongarook, Barongarook West, Kawarren, Carlisle River and Charleys Creek on Wednesday afternoon.. Watch and act alerts remained in place across the state as uncontained blazes continued near Walwa in the northeast and Dargo-Wonnangatta in the east.. Authorities have been on high alert as the state's worst heatwave in nearly two decades reached its peak on Tuesday..

The Mallee towns of Walpeup and Hopetoun recorded Victoria's all-time hottest temperatures at 48.9C.. More than 400 personnel from outside Victoria were assisting the efforts of emergency responders, including 70 from Canada and 22 from New Zealand, Ms McBain said.. The Australian Defence Force has supplied food ration packs to support personnel while the federal government has deployed aerial assets including a Black Hawk helicopter..

Residents had claimed more than $200 million in losses from 3123 claims since January 7, the Insurance Council of Australia said.. Those figures include property, motor, commercial and business interruption claims, with nearly a third of property losses estimated to be total losses.. Australian Associated Press.