Type Status Location Last Updated
Emergency Warning - Fire - Evacuate Immediately Extreme Willaura, Rossbridge, Narrapumelap Yesterday at 2:04 PM
This Emergency Warning to Evacuate Immediately is being issued for Willaura.
  • There is a bushfire at Mount Warrinaburb. The bushfire is  not yet under control.
  • This bushfire is travelling from Mt Warrinaburb  in a south-easterly direction towards Willaura.
  • The fire is expected to impact Willaura at 530pm.

If you choose to stay, emergency services may not be able to help you.
If you are located in Willaura, it is recommended you evacuate immediately and move to a safer location away from the fire.
What you should do:
This Emergency Warning is current until 15 January 4pm.
Evacuation after this time is considered life threatening.

After 15 January 4pm it may be too late to leave. Shelter indoors when the fire arrives - protect yourself from the radiant heat.

Evacuate immediately:
  • Evacuate immediately with all members of your household.
  • When you leave, remember to take your pets, mobile phone and charger.
  • If you are away from home, do not return.

Travel to a safer location. Options include:
  • A relief centre is open at Ararat Town Hall.
  • The home of family or friends away from the warning area.
  • If you evacuate to a family member or friend's house you should register with [online (if activated) / at an evacuation centre] to help others find you.
  •  Be aware of road closures when you leave. 
  • Tourists and visitors must pack quickly and leave the area immediately. It is too dangerous to stay at holiday locations. Roads will become busy when residents evacuate after packing their belongings.
Residents in Willaura should leave via Delacombe Rd then Mortlake-Ararat Rd through Rossbride and head towards Ararat.

In the car:
  • If you are travelling, do not enter the area. Make a u-turn and travel to safety.
  • Slow down and turn on your headlights. Smoke will make it difficult to see.
  • If caught in fire when on the road:
  •  Park behind a solid structure to block the fire's heat or pull over to cleared area.
  •  Try to position the car towards the approaching fire.
  •  Turn on your hazard lights and headlights. 
  •  Close all windows. 
  •  Turn off the air-conditioning and shut all the air vents. 
  •  Turn your car engine off. 
  •  Get down as low as possible below window level and cover up with a pure woollen blanket.  
If you are unable to leave, you should seek shelter inside:
  • Protect yourself by wearing long sleeves and trousers, made from pure cotton or wool. Wear leather boots and heavy duty leather gloves.
  • Close all exterior doors, windows and vents. Turn off cooling systems.
  • Shelter in a room that has a door and or a window to the outside. The building can protect you from radiant heat. It is critical to keep an eye on what is happening with the fire.
If your home catches on fire:
  • Move away from the rooms that are on fire, closing doors behind you.
  • As soon as the bushfire has passed the house, or the conditions inside become unbearable, you need to get out and go to an area that has already been burnt. Staying inside a burning building will almost certainly end in death.
  • It may still be too hot to remain outside, so you’ll need to seek shelter in another structure or last resort option.
Impacts in your area:
  • The following roads are closed: Grampians Road between Halls Gap and Dunkeld Road, Mooroona Glen, Thompson Road, Moyston Dunkeld Rd and Yarram Gap Road.
This message was issued by Forest Fire Management Victoria.

The next update is expected by 4pm 15 January or as the situation changes.

Use multiple sources to stay informed:

Accessibility:
The following services can help you, or someone you know, access information during an emergency.
  • To access this information in other languages, call the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450 (freecall) and ask them to call VicEmergency Hotline.
  • If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech/communication impairment contact National Relay Service on 1800 555 677 and ask them to call the VicEmergency Hotline.