SYDNEY - Australian authorities declared a state of disaster on Jan 10 after bushfires destroyed houses and razed vast belts of forest in the country’s south-east.

Temperatures soared past 40 deg C as a heatwave blanketed the state of Victoria this week, with hot winds fanning some of the most dangerous fire weather seen since the Black Summer bushfires of 2019-2020.

One of the most destructive bushfires ripped through almost 150,000 hectares near Longwood, a region cloaked in native forests.

Fire crews have started tallying the damage, with early reports of at least 20 houses destroyed in the small town of Ruffy, about two hours’ drive north of state capital Melbourne.

State Premier Jacinta Allan on Jan 10 declared a state of disaster, giving fire crews emergency powers to force evacuations.

“It’s all about one thing - protecting Victorian lives,” she said. “And it sends one clear message: If you have been told to leave, go.”

Three people, including a child, were missing inside one of the state’s most dangerous fire grounds.

“I appreciate there is a lot of concern,” Ms Allan said.

Although conditions had eased on the morning of Jan 10, more than 30 separate bushfires were still burning.

The worst fires have largely been confined to sparsely populated rural areas where towns might number a few hundred people.

Photos taken this week showed the night sky glowing orange as the fire near Longwood ripped through bushland.