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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Calla Wahlquist and Helen Davidson and Luke Henriques-Gomes

Tens of thousands flee in mass bushfire evacuation – as it happened

Summary: Pleas to evacuate remain ahead of horror bushfire conditions

We will leave our live coverage of the Australian bushfires there for today. Here is how things currently stand:

  • Thousands of people have evacuated from north-east Victoria, East Gippsland, and the south coast of NSW. Police have powers to compel people to leave in Victoria under the state of disaster declaration, but they have said they will not force people to leave. It is the largest peacetime evacuation in Australian history.
  • Residents and tourists who remain in East Gippsland, north-east Victoria, the south coast of NSW and the Shoalhaven region have been warned they could face extreme, unpredictable and potentially fatal bushfires. They have been told to get out tonight.
  • Fire authorities in both NSW and Victoria say they will have no ability to control fires burning tomorrow.
  • The death toll from the fires since 30 December has risen to 10, with two people confirmed dead in Victoria and eight dead in NSW. Twenty-eight people remain unaccounted for in East Gippsland.
  • Two bushfires burning out of control in Kangaroo Island in South Australia are expected to cause significant property damage, including to the infrastructure in the Forest Chase national park.
  • The main road into Western Australia from the eastern states, the Eyre highway, remains cut off due to bushfire and is not expected to open until at least Monday, prompting concerns that WA could run out of some supplies.
  • Prime minister Scott Morrison has brushed off criticism of his leadership following damning footage of a visit to bushfire victims in Cobargo, NSW on Thursday, saying it he does not take it personally and it was “not about [him]”.
  • Morrison said he was “inclined not to proceed” with a planned visit to India later this month, hours after confirming that he would still go.

Our live coverage will resume tomorrow morning.

In the meantime: please stay safe and ensure you are following the emergency alerts for your region. Tomorrow promises to be a very difficult day, and we want to see you all at the other side of it.

Updated

This is the full quote that Scott Morrison says is being taken out of context, helpfully put in context by Amy Remeikis.

Scott Morrison says he tried in ‘good faith’ to comfort bushfire victims

Asked if he thought, in retrospect, that it was odd that he picked up people’s hands to shake them, Scott Morrison said he tried in “good faith” to offer comfort.

He said that some people were more standoffish than others and “I understand that, it’s a. very emotional time.

You seek to try and in good faith, and in good will.

He said his comment that Australians during these “terrible events” would be “inspired by the great feats of our cricketers” had been “taken a bit out of context.”

Asked if he wished he had responded differently to the bushfires, Morrison said it is “not about me,” it was about people on the ground.

That’s what I’m focused on. Not on the other issues. That’s for others to Twitter about. That’s for others to Twitter about.

He said comments from former fire chiefs that they had not been listened to were “not true.” Those fire chiefs said the Coalition ignored their advice because it concerned the climate emergency.

Morrison said he was listening to the fire chiefs “that are in their jobs now.”

Then came this abrupt exchange.

Leila McKinnon: Have you been working the phones trying to get more resources from overseas?

Morrison: Of course.

McKinnon: Can we expect any more planes?

Morrison: Yes.

McKinnon asked when those planes would arrive. Morrison didn’t really answer.

And then the interview was over.

Updated

Scott Morrison has defended his leadership in the bushfire crisis

Scott Morrison is giving an interview with A Current Affair right now and repeating the line that his response to the bushfire crisis is “not about me.”

The first question, from host Leila McKinnon, does not pull any punches.

McKinnon:

People didn’t even want to shake your hand out there, do you feel that you have lost the respect of Australians?

Morrison says that people are “really hurting” in fire zones, and he has visited many fire zones and attempted to offer comfort. That offer of comfort has received “different receptions wherever you go”, he says.

He says the people of Cobargo were feeling “very raw” and he tries not to “take any of that personally”.

Jenny and I went to [offer comfort] and some didn’t want to. Some did.

McKinnon asks if Morrison regrets walking away from 20-year-old Zoey Salucci-McDermott, who said she would only shake his hand if he increased funding to the RFS.

Morrison repeated a claim he made earlier today, which we put to Salucci-McDermott and she disputed.

Said Morrison:

Zoey and I did speak, actually, of her concerns about and she did raise the issue the level of support for the RFS.

Morrison said he told her he would pass her concerns on.

Updated

There are community meetings up and down the east coast tonight, ahead of extreme bushfire conditions tomorrow.

While we wait for that interview, a reminder that this happened today.

Where the bloody hell was he?

Political reporter Amy Remeikis has written a day-by-day account of prime minister Scott Morrison’s activities in the past eight days, tracking his diary — which included engagements like the New Year’s Day Cricket Australia-McGrath Foundation reception at Kirribilli house — alongside bushfire developments.

Morrison is giving an interview to A Current Affair in a few moments. We’ll bring that to you as it happens.

Cobargo resident to PM: ‘Be a leader’

A woman who lives in Cobargo has driven a 100km round trip to Bega today to upload a video to social media demanding that prime minister Scott Morrison show leadership and offer immediate assistance to Cobargo and other towns in the bushfire crisis.

Ronnie Ayliffe is the sister of Mark Ayliffe, the Cobargo RFS captain. She says Mark was concerned that the criticism of Morrison by locals in Cobargo during his whistle-stop tour yesterday meant that he had lost his opportunity to ask — and receive — federal assistance in fighting the fires.

“[My brother] is a shell of a human being, he is hanging on by a thread,” Ayliffe said. “He holds the burden of everything that is lost on his own shoulders, and yet he has done a job that generals couldn’t do. He has been extraordinary and I want you, the world, to know that.

She continues:

Yesterday, Mr Scott Morrison, prime minister of our nation came to visit Mark.

And Mark thought this will be a lovely time that I can ask for help. Please help us. Help us to fight this again, help us to rebuild, help us with generators and fuel and... help us, help us.

But then this happened. And Ayliffe said her brother was concerned that his only opportunity to ask for help had passed.

But I don’t think asking nicely is going to get us anywhere... the only way we are going to get anything is if you, the world, demand it.

Tell Mr Morrison to help us. And not just Cobargo — but especially Cobargo — but everyone impacted by these fires. Help us in the immediate sense with things that will help us to survive this. Good god, we’ve got no power, we’ve got no telecommunications, we have got nothing but death and destruction....

Demand it. Tell him to be a leader. Tell him he has to help all of the people affected by fires. The time for being nice and asking nicely is over. I want you, the world, to demand it. Don’t forget us.

Ayliffe lives at Sams Creek, which is just outside Cobargo. She said she has spent the past few days shoring up protections around her house, but did not believe she would be able to save it.

Tomorrow [the fire is] going to come with a ferocity that’s going to take your face off, so I don’t think I’m going to have a house.

Cobargo resident Ronnie Ayliffe has called for a global reaction against Australian prime minister Scott Morrison, to ensure support for bushfire victims.

There is a community meeting and bushfire briefing in Narooma on the NSW south coast tonight. ABC reporter Melissa Clarke is there, and shared this practical, yet chilling, advice.

There has been a lot of discussion over the past week about hazard reduction burns. Specifically, whether more hazard reduction burns could have prevented the current bushfire crisis, and whether hazard reduction burns have been prevented by “green tape.”

I thought I would draw attention to this thread from environmental scientist Cormac Farrell, who works in bushfire prevention and is also the Australian Parliament’s head beekeeper.

He says, basically, that community safety trumps environmental concerns when it comes to hazard reduction burns. So if burns are happening less often it’s because it is not safe to do so, not because greenies are blocking them.

I’ve also seen some discussion about fuel reduction burn targets being abandoned. I’ve spoken to fire authorities in Victoria and Tasmania about this before, and the consensus wisdom is that the targets do not work because the easiest way to meet a target is to lob blazeballs out of a helicopter and burn a big bit of bush in the middle of a state forest or national park.

That will hit the five or 10% fuel reduction target, but will not necessarily be the kind of targeted hazard protection that actually makes the community safer.

Conditions appear to be worsening in East Gippsland.

The town of Bruthen, east of Bairnsdale, has just been ordered to evacuate.

And there’s a new emergency warning for the northern parts of East Gippsland, near Goongerah.

This is what residents are being told on the south coast of NSW. Tourists have been strongly advised for two days to get out — they should already have left.

Updated

Speaking of sport, the fire alarms at Melbourne’s AAMI Park seem to have been set off by the bushfire smoke that has settled over the city. Earlier, Victorian authorities said the air quality in the city was “very poor” to “hazardous”.

The A-League match between Melbourne City and Western United is due to start at 7.30pm.

Updated

Tennis Australia announces exhibition match

Let’s do a round-up of sports-bodies and persons raising money for bushfire relief.

Tennis Australia has announced it will host an exhibition match at Rod Laver Arena on 15 January to raise money for the Red Cross bushfire appeal. It’s also donating the profits from a Jessica Mauboy concert, scheduled for 19 January, and pledged $1m to help rebuild tennis facilities in bushfire affected communities.

The idea of a charity exhibition match was raised by Nick Krygios, who has encouraged a flood of donations and offers of support from other athletes.

The AFL has also said it will raise funds for bushfire relief. CEO Gillion McLauchlan said in a statement today that the organisation was working on a coordinated response to support fundraising efforts.

Nathan Buckley has also said... this:

Updated

This is the map of predicted fire spread in NSW that deputy commissioner Rob Rogers was speaking about earlier. The red zones are areas where the fire is expected to grow, the crosshatched areas are areas of potential ember attack.

But, as noted earlier, this only covers existing fires. New fires — and with extreme to catastrophic conditions throughout southeast NSW, you can bet on new fires starting — could occur outside of these highlighted areas.

Updated

Here is the video of that interview with Zoey Salucci-McDermott, the pregnant 20-year-old woman at Cobargo who refused to shake prime minister Scott Morrison’s hand.

There has been a bit of inconsistency with the spelling of Zoey’s name, but it is with a -y. Apologies if we got that wrong before.

Local fire chief for PM: a report from the gridlocked NSW south coast

Guardian Australia’s investigations editor Anne Davies is among those who have been trying to leave the south coast of NSW, following the advice of NSW fire services.

She has filed this dispatch:

People have spent 24 hours sleeping in their cars in the hope of being allowed to leave with police escorts in groups of 20 to 50.

The evacuation stopped for the an hour and a half mid afternoon after the fire flared and trees fell across the road but was underway again this afternoon.

Bendalong and Manyana are now one of the few coastal towns, along with Sussex Inlet in the Shoalhaven that still has unburned bush. Loved for its forests that stretch down to the beach, the fire has now ringed the villages, in some places burning just 200 meters from houses.

No one is confident about what will happen on Saturday. The forecast is for catastrophic fire danger high temperatures and strong winds.

If it reaches the crowns of the towering gums, it will burn all the way to the beach. With 700 people in the caravan park and another 4000 in houses- all without electricity for four days, the Rural Fire Service made it clear they wanted everyone to leave if possible.

Sheridan O’Donnell From Newcastle, and Louie Racht from Sydney had been staying with their families in Bendalong.

They were fourth in the line to exit, when the Guardian visited early this afternoon. They had been been there for 24 hours. Luckily their house was so close they could sleep there but had spent hours waiting in the line of nearly 400 vehicles.

“Can we just give a shout out to Peter Jackson from Austinmer Rural Fire Service,” said O’Donnell.

“He was just here on holidays like us. Now he’s our kids’ new hero.”

Jackson took charge of the evacuation plan, providing the daily briefings and managing the flow of cars.

“He’s the sort of leader we need. Peter Jackson for PM,” O’Donnell said.

Updated

Rob Rogers also spoke at that press conference about the risk that fires on either side of the Victoria/NSW border could merge.

That’s the Corryong fire, on the Victorian side of the border, and the Tumbaruma fire on the NSW side. There is a risk that the smoke columns for those fires could be drawn together, as happened with the two largest fires in East Gippsland on Monday, and cause the fires to merge.

Depending on winds, that could send it back toward Thredbo and Perisher Valley, and even the ACT.

Earlier in that press conference, premier Gladys Berejiklian was asked whether NSW had been offered assistance from the ADF to help evacuate the south coast, or whether that assistance had been denied.

She said:

We have accepted all assistance that we need and continue to do so.

Another reporter asked deputy RFS commissioner Rob Rogers if he agreed with comments from former fire chief Greg Mullins, who said this morning that the prime minister should call in additional aerial support from Europe.

Rogers says he does not agree with Mullins, and they do not require more aircraft.

We have the resources we want.... There is a limit to how many aircraft can safely operate over fire grounds. Many of these fire grounds, we have difficulty getting any aircraft in when they have been aircraft available [because of the smoke]

Rogers said there were national arrangements for sharing aircraft and other resources with other states and territories and he was “very comfortable” with those arrangements.

Rob Rogers says that some areas of NSW are going to reach catastrophic fire danger ratings tomorrow. It is not widespread enough to bump a whole region up from extreme to catastrophic, but he says the RFS will be preparing for catastrophic conditions.

The fire danger rating for the southeastern corner of NSW on Saturday is extreme.

Rogers says:

Whatever the rating is, it’s going to be a pretty bad day.

The cool change, which is forecast to come through Victoria and East Gippsland around midday, will not reach those areas of NSW until very late at night, or even after midnight. That is much later than the change came through on New Year’s Eve. And the later the change, the worse the conditions.

I was talking to the bureau earlier and they are suggesting it could be delayed further, the change, and every time it is delayed, the fire danger gets higher and higher, so we will be watching closely.

Updated

NSW likely to lose more homes tomorrow: RFS

RFS deputy commissioner Rob Rogers says that NSW is likely to lose more homes tomorrow. More than 1,200 houses have already been destroyed throughout the state so far this fire season.

We are unfortunately very likely to lose homes tomorrow but we will be very happy and call it a success if there are no lives lost.

That is a single focus tomorrow and we need the community to have the focus as well, and then obviously, call for help when you need it, 000, life-threatening only.

Rogers says there are five areas of concern: the Shoalhaven region, the south coast from Batemans Bay to the Victorian border, the Snowy Valley area, the Blue Mountains, and the NSW north coast.

There will be 3,000 fires and 700 aircraft fighting fires around the state and an additional 650 fire fighters and 150 fire appliances standing by as surge capacity.

Rogers says he thinks that most communities in that at-risk area would be aware of the risk, and the recommendation to leave. He said anyone who ignores that advice to leave must take responsibility for their own safety.

We are giving them information and being honest about the risk, but if people choose to stay, then that is on them.

I guess what they have to do is understand that if they choose to do that, do not expect there will be a fire truck if you ring, make sure you understand that you are likely to be stuck there for some time and the last thing you should do is suddenly change your mind at the last minute.

Unfortunately, we have seen people caught in cars and that is fatal. Been caught in a car is only slightly better than being caught on foot. Cars are not safe places to be.

Four of those confirmed dead in the NSW south coast fires since New Year’s Eve were found in cars.

Updated

NSW: leave tonight from all at-risk fire regions

NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian is holding a press conference in Sydney.

She says there is still a window for people leaving the south coast to leave the area via the Princes Highway, which has been opened to allow thousands of people to leave.

There is a window until tonight, for people to get out and we encourage them to do so, please do not stay in the area unless you absolutely have to.

RFS deputy commissioner Rob Rogers says that people in the area of concern, which is almost the entirety of the south coast of NSW, from Nowra down, need to leave tonight — they cannot wait until tomorrow morning.

I would also say to you, and we ask for an early morning leave, that didn’t happen on New Year’s Eve, so what we’re saying to people is be out of those areas tonight, and we’re just saying go somewhere that isn’t in one of those areas, go to an area that has been burnt out already, towards the beach areas, make sure that you are not in that area when those winds come in tomorrow morning, and the temperature start elevating.

These fires can move frighteningly quickly, and unfortunately we had homes being alight at 3.30am, and we had people ringing 000 saying they were trapped already, in the early morning, and that is not the way people want to be woken up so we need people to be safe.

Updated

The Bureau of Meteorology has released a weather update for tomorrow, focusing on the fire danger.

Severe Weather Update: dangerous fire weather conditions 3 January 2020.

Mt Hotham resort closed due to fires

The Mt Hotham resort has been closed due to worsening bushfire conditions in the northeast, chief executive Jon Hutchins says.

A small team of “essential staff” will remain “for asset protection and to support our local CFA staff”. They will use snowmaking equipment to protect key assets from fire, if required.

Mt Hotham is within the area declared a state of disaster in Victoria. All visitors to the mountain have left, Hutchins says, and anyone planning on visiting the area has been urged to stay away.

There are some smaller fires burning in the area already, and it is northeast of the 200,000 hectare Barmouth-Spur fire, the largest of the 550,000 hectare fires burning in East Gippsland.

Mt Hotham is already cut off to the south by closures to the Great Alpine Road, which has been closed since 21 December, and the Dargo High Plains Road, which is also closed due to fire.

The Bogong High Plains Road and the Benambra-Corryong Road are also closed.

Updated

Woman who refused to shake Scott Morrison's hand says he 'wasn't here to help us'

The young woman who refused Scott Morrison’s handshake has spoken to the media.

Zoey Salucci-McDermott, 20, told the Ten Network that the encounter with the prime minister left her “in shock” and broke her heart.

Salucci-McDermott, who is 28 weeks pregnant, told the PM she would not shake his hand until he promised more funding for the rural fire service.

In footage of the encounter, which has been beamed around the world, the prime minister is seen taking Salucci-McDermott’s hand anyway after she declines his handshake, before turning his back and walking away.

Salucci-McDermott, who lost her home in the fires, told Ten: “It broke my heart, I would have happily sat down and had a cuppa with him if he’d just asked if I was okay.”

“I told him it was a war zone, and he walked away, and it broke my heart.

“I couldn’t do anything but stand there.”

She added that she thought Morrison’s visit was insincere but also wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt at first.

“When we saw him turn up he was originally taking photos with whoever wanted to take photos ... So I felt it was insincere but I don’t like to judge a book by its cover,” she said.

“He did come up because he did obviously saw I had a child and was obviously pregnant. He came up to us and just went to shake my hand. I said, ‘I can’t.’ You know all that. You saw the video.

“And with the walking away, he wasn’t here to help us, was he?”

On Friday, Morrison claimed he had discussed funding for fire services with Salucci-McDermott when asked why he had turned away from her. Guardian Australia understands there was no further conversation, beyond that shown in the footage.

Updated

CFS chief officer Mark Jones said he “sincerely hoped” there were no people remaining on the western half of Kangaroo Island.

I hope there are none. If we knew of them, we would be urging them to leave, and we have given lots of warnings, used every method at our disposal to encourage people not to be in the western part of Kangaroo Island and I sincerely hope — other than people that are firefighting — that they have left.

We have no reports of injuries yet to either firefighters or members of the public.

If you do not need to be on Kangaroo Island, SA premier Steven Marshall said, they should avoid the area today.

As the mayor of Kangaroo Island, Peter Clements, just told ABC24, it’s “a bugger of a day”.

He said he expected the fire to burn through the entirety of the Flinders Chase national park, which takes up the southwest corner of the island.

Clements said anyone who remained in the western area of the island were “bloody idiots”.

Updated

'Astonished' if more homes are not lost on Kangaroo Island today: CFS

We’re jumping states again to South Australia, which is experiencing today that extreme fire weather followed by a gusty wind change that Victoria and NSW are forecast to get tomorrow.

Country Fire Service chief officer Mark Jones said the biggest threat at the moment is to Kangaroo Island. About 150 firefighters are battling blazes in the west and southwest of the island, and Jones said he was disappointed that many did not heed warnings to leave the island.

Is disappointing to me to note that reports are coming back that some people did not heed the warnings to leave early, for some of those people it may be too late and we urge them to seek a place of safety.

Both fires have breached control lines, and fire danger indexes for the island “greatly exceeded those predicted”.

In some good news, the Cudlee Creek fire, which did run today, is being contained.

Jones said he expects homes will have been lost on Kangaroo Island today.

I would be astonished if homes were not lost, it has covered such a large proportion of the western side [of the island], and it has burned so fiercely that I would be surprised if nothing has been lost. We have no confirmed details of this point.

Updated

95% of ACT firefighters returned home ahead of extreme conditions

To the ACT now, where the chief minister, Andrew Barr, is addressing the media about their fire preparations.

There is no fire in the ACT at the moment but fires in NSW, particularly the Kosciuszko National Park, are close. Barr says 95% of ACT firefighting resources have been returned to the territory ahead of the fire threat tomorrow.

Canberra is also a landing point for those who have evacuated from the NSW south coast.

The respite centre in Dickson has been up and running for close to 24 hours now. A small number of people have already accessed the facility, and we will continue to run this centre 24 hours a day whilst it is needed.

Barr said he recognised that people were anxious about the possibility of evacuations in the ACT itself, if fire starts, and preparations were in place to stand up an evacuation centre at short notice if needed.

He said the best way for people to help those affected by bushfires was to donate to the Red Cross.

We are aware many Canberrans want to provide assistance to victims of bushfires who may be entering into the ACT and this is greatly appreciated. But I’ve been asked by the team at the respite centre...that further support is not required at this stage.

...If you do want to do something, make a donation to the Red Cross appeal. The Government has already made a donation and we encourage people to do so via the Red Cross website.

Updated

'3.5% of the state is on fire at the moment'

Steve Warrington, the chief officer of the Victorian Country Fire Authority, has toured fire-affected areas at Sarsfield near Bairnsdale and is addressing the media in Bairnsdale now.

He says that 3.5% of the state has been affected by fire, but the most significant impact has been on the loss of lives and homes.

We have 3.5% of the Victoria landmass impacted now by fire. I can talk to you about 800,000 hectares of fire if you like and can give you all those facts and figures.

But when you go into these communities and you see one house or you speak to one community member, and you realise the impact that every one of these has. There is life lost here. There are houses destroyed right across this part of the state, and indeed in the north-east, it really brings home to you the impact that this has had right at the community level.

Wairewa, 50km east of Bairnsdale, lost 11 of its 22 homes.

Buchan lost 24 homes. Firefighting efforts were focused on saving the centre of Buchan, so the property losses are on the outskirts.

Warrington urged people to think seriously about the prospect that their home could burn down — not just feel bad for those who lost everything but assume it would never happen to them.

Think about it – where are you going to live if you don’t have your home? Where are you going to have your loved ones, where are your pets going to go? What about your collectables, your photos, your family emblems, etcetera? It is the whole emotion.

He says even experienced firefighters are scared.

I’ve had a good career captain saying, ‘Hey, we were really scared. The noise of the thing coming up the hill towards us.’

I had many people say, ‘I always had a plan to defend and stay. I’ll never do it again.’

Updated

Trade in shares of Kangaroo Island Plantation Timber has been halted until next Tuesday while the company assesses the damage of fires that have already destroyed more that 13% of its forests.

The company, which grows blue gum and pine trees, has been battling fires on Kangaroo Island, south-west of Adelaide, since before Christmas.

South Australia’s Country Fire Service has declared an emergency on the island, where two fires are burning.

Just yesterday, KIPT said it would try to salvage wood from the areas that have already burned by bringing forward harvesting.

The areas so far known to be burned were worth about $20m, KIPT said.

Updated

Smoke from the bushfires is affecting air quality in Melbourne. EPA Victoria says the air quality is poor; at that press conference at the state control centre just now the report was “hazardous to poor” air quality in Melbourne and as far west as Geelong.

A statewide air quality warning was issued just after 2.11pm. If your maximum visibility is 1.5km, the alert says, “your air quality is in the hazardous level, and you need to limit your time outdoors, limit exercise, and follow any treatment plans.”

Granger reiterated that people in the at risk areas of East Gippsland and northeast Victoria should leave.

If they value their safety they must leave. I’d suggest personal belongings are of very, very little value in these circumstances. These are dire circumstances, there is no doubt.

Andrew Crisp said he had been told by the incident controller in Gippsland that there were a lot of people on the road, apparently leaving the area.

Guardian Australia has been told by people on in northeast Victoria that there has been a steady exodus of people from the alpine region and into Wangaratta.

Mick Granger says that the numbers of those declared deceased and unaccounted for in the East Gippsland fires have not changed.

As of this morning, that’s two men confirmed deceased and 28 people unaccounted for.

Granger asked for patience in tracking down those missing people and confirming what has happened to them, and said that number could fluctuate.

We have very, very hot fire zones. We have areas that have been damaged by fire but are not safe to proceed into. So those numbers will jump up, up and down, in respect to the missing persons, the unaccounted for persons. So I just ask for your patience. Our process will be to validate that someone is listed as missing or unaccounted for and making inquiries, when it is safe to do so, to locate those persons.

He said that police had been working to get into other isolated communities, on top of Mallacoota, to ensure they’re aware of the recommendation to evacuate. Satellite phones have been delivered to many isolated communities so they are no longer cut off.

Updated

1,200 people evacuated from Mallacoota

Mick Granger from Victoria Police says that 1,200 people are being evacuated from Mallacoota by sea today, and will make the 16-hour voyage to Hastings, which is a deepwater port on the Mornington Peninsula.

“We know that one of the ADF vessels has left Mallacoota and they’re in the process of loading about 1,100 people onto a second vessel that’ll leave later this afternoon,” Granger said.

Another three dozen people or so have been airlifted from Mallacoota to Sale. They are people considered to be at the greatest health risk.

Richard Russell, from the Bureau of Meteorology, says Victoria will experience “strong, hot dry, north to north-westerly winds” in the fire zone ahead of a south-westerly change tomorrow.

That change will reach Melbourne about 8am, and East Gippsland around midday, bringing gusty south-westerly winds.

This is a similar weather pattern to Monday, but the change on Monday came through much later. It was also held back by the smoke column from the East Gippsland fires, which generated its own weather and held back the winds. You also see some swirling winds while the change comes through.

Temperatures before the wind change are forecast to be very hot — up to 46C in Albury, near the Tallangatta fires.

Andrew Crisp warns that new fires could start at any time, anywhere in Victoria. It’s not enough to just look at the fires that are already burning and decide you are safe, he said.

The risk is any ‘new starts’. We saw that in the lead-up to last weekend...we gave the community an idea of where we believed the fires would travel, the East Gippsland fire.

But we had the Mallacoota fire, and what the Mallacoota fire did was actually block the Princes Highway. So that’s why the message at the moment is very much about if you can get out, you must get out now because, who knows, there could be further fires start this afternoon or even tomorrow and cut further roads.

So it will be too late to leave.

Crisp said that people in Victoria had a “shared responsibility” to stay informed about any fires or potential fires in their area, and stay safe.

We want you to do what you can to look after yourselves and, in the long-term, make things easy for our fire and emergency services when they have to work in these particular areas.

Updated

Victorian emergency management commissioner Andrew Crisp is speaking now at the state control centre in Melbourne. He is providing an update on the fire situation, heading into extreme fire conditions tomorrow.

Crisp says:

We literally have hundreds and hundreds of kilometres of active reach, of uncontained fire. So that’s the situation we find ourselves in at the moment.

What we’re experiencing is our state is drying out well and truly and we’ve got warmer weather... But we’ll see some northerly winds come through tomorrow, we will see a change come through. We will speak to that in more detail but what that means for us is elevated fire conditions.

Crisp says the key message from the declaration of a state of natural disaster is that people in affected areas — that’s Gippsland and the North East — need to get out.

We went out last night with some strong message that if you’re in that area, you should be getting out.

Updated

This video, released by authorities in Victoria, gives a sense of the scale of the bushfires burning in East Gippsland. It was filmed from a helicopter with a thermal camera.

The bright white bits are the fire.

There are five ‘evacuate now’ warnings in Victoria at the moment

The most recent warning to evacuate was issued for Bessiebelle in western Victoria, in areas south of the Budj Bim national park and Aboriginal heritage landscape, at 2.33pm. There’s an out of control bushfire in the national park, which is burning in a southerly direction.

The other “evacuate now” warnings are for Boggy Creek and Bullumwall in East Gippsland, which are under threat from the fire burning at Mount Taylor, north of Bairnsdale; and for two areas in the north-east, near Tallangatta along the Murray Valley Highway, and at Towong, which is threatened by the Walwa fire.

If you are in Victoria or travelling through Victoria, it’s a good idea to install the Vic Emergency app and set up your area of concern. You’ll then get alerts to your phone whenever a new warning comes through. If you are travelling into an area without phone reception, or if you lose phone or internet, tune into ABC local radio.

Updated

Scott Morrison has just given an interview on ABC Radio in Victoria. He says the national security committee of cabinet will now meet tomorrow.

The PM had said yesterday it would meet on Monday, which drew criticism from Anthony Albanese today.

Asked why the delay to Monday, Morrison replied: “They are meeting tomorrow.”

The prime minister, who is in Victoria today, also gave more details about the defence force’s involvement in the fire effort.

He said 100 defence force reservists had now signed up to take part in ADF-led operations.

When the Victorian government asks for more assistance, “we will keep saying yes every time”, Morrison said.

Updated

There has been some movement in the Currowan fire at Shoalhaven.

Good afternoon everyone. I am taking over our live coverage from Helen Davidson.

Scott Morrison has just been on radio in Melbourne. We’ll bring you what he said shortly. If you want to send us information directly, you can reach me on Twitter @callapilla or at calla.wahlquist@theguardian.com

Updated

This report is from NITV’s Madeline Hayman-Reber. You can read the full story here.

The Yuin community is in mourning after fires engulfed the coastal village of Mogo, destroying the homes of five members of the Mogo Local Aboriginal Land Council, along with the building itself.

CEO Linda Carlson described what it was like to helplessly watch the fire in the moments before the entire town was wiped out as “terrifying”.

“I was in Batemans Bay and I just saw this fireball coming and it was heading straight for Mogo and I thought that whole village is gone,” Ms Carlson told NITV News on Friday.

One of the buildings razed housed the Mogo Aboriginal Land Council.

“I nearly cried. The people are just traumatised for their houses. There were some local members who rescued other family members and took them to safety,” Ms Carlson said.

“They were driving through walls of fire to get out of there when they reached a point of no return.”

The pregnant woman who refused to shake the prime minister’s hand during a photo opportunity at Cobargo says she lost everything in the fires that ravaged the town on New Year’s Eve.

Scott Morrison was met with heckling and abuse on Thursday night as angry locals told him they were unsatisfied with the response to fires that destroyed their town.

In footage that quickly went viral, Zoey is seen shaking Morrison’s hand before saying she would only do so if the prime minister provided more funding for the Rural Fire Service. The prime minister took her hand anyway and then is seen walking away without saying anything further.

In a post on Facebook, Zoey wrote: “I have lost everything I own.” She later added: “My house is burnt to the ground the prime minister turned his back on me.”

Asked by a reporter how he could claim to being offering support when he walked away from the woman, Morrison replied: “I stood there with the same lady you’re referring to.

“We talked about what she was asking there, which was greater support for the firefighting effort in that part of New South Wales. So we talked about that.”

Conditions have forced closures and cancellations of attractions and events in Canberra.

The Canberra International tennis tournament, set to start on Monday, has been relocated to Bendigo in country Victoria due to bushfires and smoke haze in the region. The event is on the ATP Challenger Tour and the ITF Women’s circuit, and has eight top 100 men’s players and 20 women from the top 200 entered in the field.

“The health of players, fans, volunteers, staff and stakeholders is our biggest priority at all times,” Tennis ACT chief executive Kim Kachel said.

The National Zoo and Aquarium is also closed this Saturday “due to the unprecedented combination of the ACT Government declaring a state of alert, an extreme fire warning and the continuation of poor air quality”.

The zoo said: “We apologise to any visitors and members that were planning on visiting the zoo tomorrow. However, we feel given the seriousness and combination of all of these unique factors, it is the most prudent course of action. Any individuals that have encounters or tours booked for tomorrow will be contacted in order to reschedule or, if that is not possible, receive a full refund.”

The WNBL announced on Friday it had cancelled Sunday’s round 12 basketball game between the UC Capitals and Perth Lynx, due to be played at the AIS.

Officials said heavy smoke, caused by the NSW bushfires, was impacting air quality inside the venue.

Football Federation Australia also announced that the W-League round eight match between Canberra United and Sydney FC on Sunday had been postponed.

Updated

There is a final opportunity for people to evacuate Cann River.

Morrison is “inclined not to proceed” on the visit to India

The National Security Committee is going to hook up in the morning on this. I’m inclined not to proceed on that visit. There are issues I need to resolve formally when working through issues of that nature. That is my inclination on that issue. We’ll make a further announcement and arrangement on that accordingly.

Updated

Morrison won't be distracted by community anger

Morrison is getting grilled on the community anger directed at him, particularly in recent days, and about his leadership.

His responses are recognising that people are “angry”, “raw”, and have “suffered great loss”, but not that the feelings are specifically towards him.

“People are angry, and... if people want to direct that at me, that is up to them. It’s not something that will distract me. It is something that I will empathise with. It is something that I understand. It’s not something for me to take personally.”

He’s asked about calls for more aerial firefighting equipment, and if we have sought more from overseas countries. He says that is a matter for emergency chiefs, but there has been one request made very recently from one of the states. No details on that though.

Asked about Greg Mullins comparing his response to the fires with Trump’s response to mass shootings, Morrison corrects the reporter to say Mullins is the “former” chief fire commissioner.

“This is not about any one individual - not me or anyone else. We all have to a job do.”

Updated

Questions now, and the first one is about his reception in Cobargo.

“People are frustrated. People have suffered great loss. They’re feeling very raw, particularly where I was yesterday. And that’s the case in many parts of the country. And so I understand how people are feeling. And however they wish to respond is a matter for them. All I seek to do is to provide the support of the Commonwealth government and to assure them of everything we are doing to support them in this time of need.”

A follow-up question from the reporter who says it didn’t look like he was being that supportive, noting he walked away from the woman who didn’t want to shake his hand.

Morrison says he talked to the woman about what she was asking for – greater support for the RFS.

Asked about Andrew Constance, Liberal government minister in NSW, saying he probably got the welcome he deserved.

“I’ve known Andrew for a long time and I’ve reached out to him today.”

Morrison says he thought they had contacted Constance to tell him they were coming to the electorate, but realising they hadn’t, he has apologised.

“I assumed that he was otherwise occupied on that day, which would be completely understandable. But Andrew’s been through a terrible, terrible experience and ordeal, and so I totally understand how he’d be feeling.”

Updated

Morrison acknowledges that these fires are at an unprecedented scale.

In some contrast to previous appearances, Morrison is much more focused and emphatic on the Commonwealth’s role in the disaster response.

This is a time to focus on the task in front of us and coming together and working closely together. I can assure you, that is happening absolutely between the Commonwealth and the state government. The Premier here in Victoria and I are in constant contact, and those in New South Wales should know that that is also the case there in NSW.

Updated

Darren Chester is addressing media about East Gippsland, with Morrison beside him.

I’ll bring you the main points.

“Having been out on the fireground today and met with people who lost everything, their spirit and determination is simply magnificent,” said Chester.

“We’re in for some pretty tough times again over the next 36 hours. We just received briefings again about the risk, and the number one consideration for us all is the safety of our community.”

Morrison says there are “some gruelling days ahead”.

“What I have been pleased to see here has been the absolute integration of the local efforts together with the state efforts and the efforts of the Australian Defence Force.”

He says 57 people have left Mallacoota on the MB Sycamore, and HMAS Choules will be leaving shortly, with about 900 on board.

Mallacoota is receiving 12,000 litres of fuel every day, principally through air support.

He said a lot of the missing people are from remote areas without communication.

Morrison urges people to get to places of safety before the situation is “far more dangerous” tomorrow.

“That evacuation effort today is extremely important and has a very big focus from the Commonwealth.”

The ADF is working with state emergency services to get key roads open, Morrison says, and with state governments to set up evacuation centres and providing accomodation. He stresses it won’t be a “tent city”.

There will be a big rebuilding effort here in East Gippsland, as there has been, and there will need to be, in many other parts of the country, as disasters have befallen them. The Commonwealth will play a key role in working together with state and local authorities in building those businesses back up, in building the infrastructure again and ensuring that we can see a recovery of the area. Not just physically, but also economically, to provide those ongoing services that are necessary.

Updated

A community briefing in Jindabyne painted a grim picture of the deteriorating fire conditions across the Snowy-Monaro shire area.

Rocky Plains fire captain, David Fletcher, told a crowd of approximately 1,500 that spilled out of the memorial hall that all the fires in the area were not contained. They expected 40 km/h winds gusting up to 70 km/h which would make the fires intense and erratic, and they expected spot fires well ahead of the front on Saturday.

Fletcher predicted the fires to the south in Victoria were expected to cross the border and impact their area sometime on Saturday. He said 87 heavy plant were currently working on existing fires and building containment lines. He could not guarantee a fire fighting appliance at every property and urged residents to stay ONLY if they had the resources, skills, and capacity to defend their properties.

Community meeting at the memorial hall in Jindabyne ahead of deteriorating fire conditions across the Snowy-Monaro shire council region on Saturday 4th January 2020. Friday 3rd January 2020.
Community meeting at the memorial hall in Jindabyne ahead of deteriorating fire conditions across the Snowy-Monaro shire council region on Saturday 4th January 2020. Friday 3rd January 2020. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Brad Hughes from Jindabyne police asked that people who intended to evacuate to move on from the area if they could, as accommodation in Cooma and other towns was already stretched with displaced persons from the south coast fires.

Evacuation centres have been set up at the Bombala community centre and the Multi Function Centre at Cooma showgrounds. There is no evacuation centre in Jindabyne because of the risk of fire impacting the town.

The saleyards at Cooma and Bombala are open for large animals who have been evacuated, feeding them is the sole responsibility of the owners.

Horses can be stabled at the Cooma Showground, smaller animals, birds in cages and chickens are also being catered for at the Multi Function Centre in Cooma. These facilities are managed by the Department of Communities and Justice.

The mayor of the Snowy-Monaro shire, Peter Beer, reiterated that emergency services will not be able to support everyone and that they really did not know exactly what would happen Saturday.

Updated

Community recovery assistance has been extended for bushfire-hit communities in the Bega Valley, Eurobodalla, Queanbeyan-Palerang, Shoalhaven, Snowy Monaro, Snowy Valleys and Mid-Western council areas, the emergency management minister David Littleproud has announced.

This brings the total support to more than $80m and includes:

  • Recovery grants of up to $15,000 for farmers and small businesses
  • $4.5m in funding for additional mental health support and local led economic and community resilience initiatives

“The Federal Government will stand by these communities until they’re back on their feet and will make further assistance available as it is needed,” Littleproud said.

Updated

Most people appear to have seen this footage by now, but here are the two now infamous handshake attempts by Scott Morrison.

Here’s the follow up to one of the interactions, from ABC reporters on the ground.

He reportedly received a warmer welcome in Lucknow, Victoria, in that no one yelled at him. Here’s one account of the stopover.

Updated

An extraordinary amount of land is under threat tomorrow. This is the New South Wales RFS’s prediction for fire spread tomorrow in those catastrophic conditions.

Updated

Victorian emergency services have just issued a strong recommendation to evacuate from Bessiebelle, Broadwater, Codrington, Homerton, Lake Condah, Macarthur, Tyrendarra, Condah South, and Condah Mission.

“If you are located in the area south of the fire in Budj Bim National Park it is strongly recommended that you evacuate now and move to a safer location away from the fire.”

  • There is a bushfire at Foote Tk - 2km south east of Lake Condah that is not yet under control
  • This fire is travelling from Budj Bim National Park in a south-westerly direction towards Old Mill Road.
  • Firefighters are uncertain if they can hold the fire at its current location.
  • A wind change is expected around 2pm, which will cause the fire to change directions towards Bessiebelle. Conditions can become very dangerous and unpredictable.

Updated

Hello, this is Helen Davidson taking over the blog from Luke now.

New South Wales police have arrested a 19-year-old for allegedly stealing from a vacant home in Batlow, and stealing a car which he later crashed. The occupants had evacuated ahead of the bushfires.

The man allegedly searched through the house and then stole a Ford Falcon sedan which was later seen being driven erratically in Batlow.

“Police initiated a pursuit, but it was terminated shortly after due to safety concerns. Soon after, officers located the sedan after it crashed into a tree.

The driver, a 19-year-old man, was taken to Wagga Wagga Base Hospital in a stable condition, where he remains under police guard.”

Officers searched the vehicle, finding a backpack with several items believed to be stolen, including jewellery, documentation and ammunition.

“This sort of behaviour will not be tolerated by police or the wider community, and we will take immediate action to bring these people before the courts,” deputy commissioner Gary Worboys said.

“I also ask members of the community to be vigilant – if you see a crime being committed, call triple zero immediately.”

Updated

PM's fire response 'reminds me of President Trump' on guns: former fire chief

Former New South Wales fire chief, Greg Mullins, has likened Scott Morrison’s response to the bushfires to Donald Trump’s reluctance to discuss guns after a mass shooting.

“I’ve gotta watch what I say because I’m very tired, I’ve been at multiple fires,” Mullins said.

But I’m angry about the prime minister’s response. It reminds me of President Trump when there’s multiple shootings saying it’s nothing to do with guns.

We have to talk about climate change because our bushfire situation in Australia has changed forever. It’s been a 20 year process. People in the business like me have watched with horror, spoken to the Bureau of Meteorology, CSIRO and scientists and said, ‘What the hell is going on?’ And they said, here it is, but we’re not being listened to.

Everything I heard from the government is, ‘We’re doing this, we’re doing this, aren’t we good? Yeah, too late, guys.

You can listen to the whole interview here. It starts at 2:20 and is well worth a listen.

Updated

Greg Mullins says he has never seen a bushfire situation this serious. He was in Batemans Bay on New Year’s Eve in charge of an RFS crew and, “I’m still shocked.”

This is what 29 other fire and emergency chiefs, former chiefs, and I, tried to warn the prime minister about back in April and May. And we weren’t listened to.

What could Scott Morrison have done?

“We made a number of suggestions to use the military in a more organised and less ad-hoc fashion. The answer was that’s a stupid idea,” he said.

“Eventually they were forced into using the ADF.”

Updated

The former NSW fire chief, Greg Mullins, gave an interview on ABC Radio Sydney this morning.

You might remember he was among the former fire chiefs calling for a national bushfire summit.

I’m going to transcribe some of his quotes for you, but here’s a flavour below.

A reminder that bushfires – and the climate emergency – will have added impacts on low-income people and those with disabilities.

Just a further update on the number of homes lost in New South Wales. The RFS now puts the figure at 1,365 since the start of the fire season.

Updated

And there is also one from Woolworths.

New South Wales update:

    • Woolworths Narooma and Bermagui remain closed and will not reopen until Sunday.
    • Woolworths Batemans Bay and Moruya will trade until 8pm this evening (3 January) and will close tomorrow and not reopen until Sunday.
    • BWS stores in Batemans Bay and Narooma are closed today with all BWS stores south of Nowra to Tura Beach to be closed tomorrow.
    • Stock was replenished across Woolworths stores overnight on the south coast, with the exception of Moruya, with delivery trucks escorted by police through the Princes Highway closure yesterday evening.
    • Additional stock is currently en route to Woolworths supermarkets in the region for further replenishment today. There will be no deliveries tomorrow as a safety precaution due to conditions in the region.
    • Woolworths continues to support the supply needs of the Salvation Army by meeting their ongoing requirements at evacuation centres in the region. This includes a number of Woolworths trucks heading to the region with essential supplies which will arrive today. Our Bega online delivery trucks are also being used to ship further supplies from the store to the local evacuation centres.
    • Plans are in place to support stores that might be impacted over the weekend from the fires currently burning in the Kosciuszko national park. This includes power generators being sent to our Jindabyne, Cooma and Tumut stores. Team members from nearby areas are also helping support the stores to accommodate teams needing to remain with their homes.
    • A Woolworths power generator has also been provided to the Bega Shire Council to support the power and water needs for the community.

Victoria update:

    • Currently all stores in affected areas of Victoria remain open, although we will continue to monitor the situation over the course of the day.
    • Woolworths has supplied 45 pallets of water to the Salvation Army to distribute to the CFA for use across the far east of Gippsland and stores continue to support the needs of the CFA across the region.

Updated

I have received a statement from the Commonwealth Bank about bank closures and ATM outages.

It reads in part:

The continuing bushfire emergencies across the country are impacting Commonwealth Bank services, particularly on the south coast of NSW and in Victoria. With the safety of our customers and our staff the absolute priority plus the impact of the damage caused to key power and telecommunications services, we have closed the following branches as at 10.30am today, Friday 3 January 2020:

New South Wales

    • Batemans Bay (ATMs unavailable)
    • Batlow
    • Eden
    • Huskisson (closed from 12:30pm)
    • Jindabyne
    • Merimbula
    • Moruya
    • Narooma (closed from 1:00pm)
    • Ulladulla (closed from 1:00pm)

ACT

    • Australian National University

Victoria

    • Bright
    • Corryong
    • Lakes Entrance
    • Mount Beauty (closed from 1:00pm)
    • Orbost

ATMs have also been affected with both Batemans Bay onsite ATMs currently out of service. All other ATMs are currently reported as working.

Further information on our affected services can be found at https://www.commbank.com.au/about-us/support/commbank-incidents.html

Updated

HMAS Choules is expected to reach Hastings at 11pm tonight after leaving Mallacoota today.

HMAS Choules off the coast of Victoria.
HMAS Choules off the coast of Victoria. Photograph: Reuters

Updated

The New Zealand government is sending a further 22 firefighters to Australia to assist in the fire effort.

In a statement, the NZ prime minister Jacinda Ardern said: “The devastation caused by these fires is taking a substantial toll on our Australian neighbours and we will continue to do what we can to assist as they deal with this extremely dynamic, dangerous and ongoing situation.

“New Zealanders around the country have expressed their condolences to those who have lost loved ones and sympathy to all affected, and I extend mine too. It’s simply devastating to see the scale of the loss.

“I’ve been in contact with prime minister Scott Morrison again this week to share our collective support for our neighbours and friends, and what they’re experiencing.”

The government’s press release states:

A formal request for further assistance was made earlier this week and the extra personnel (20 firefighters, a strike team leader and a liaison officer) will help with front-line firefighting on two five-day rotations. They’ll leave for Australia on 8 January.

Since late October 2019, 157 New Zealanders have been deployed to assist with the Australia bush fires.

Updated

The ABC has just broadcast some of the PM’s visit to Lucknow. All very pleasant, no repeat of the scenes at Cobargo yesterday.

This is from Monday. The fire front is now even larger and is expected to move south as conditions deteriorate on Saturday.

Updated

Big four accounting firm KPMG has cancelled its annual jolly for chief executives and other corporate bigwigs, a couta boat race usually held at Sorrento, on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, because of the bushfires.

The race usually attracts a who’s who of corporate Australia, who are ladled into couta boats – a type of sailboat historically used for fishing around the peninsula – for a race from Sorrento down to the Port Phillip Heads and back before breaking for lunch, usually compered by Eddie McGuire.

Past attendees at the event include defenestrated Westpac chairman Lindsay Maxsted, former Australia Post boss Ahmed Fahour, treasurer Josh Frydenberg and former treasurer and Future Fund chairman Peter Costello.

“Out of respect for bushfire affected communities – and given the current catastrophic bushfire situation across eastern Australia – with the expectation of worsening weather conditions tomorrow and over the weekend, KPMG has taken the decision to cancel its annual Couta Boat race,” a spokeswoman said.

It is not clear whether the event, which has come to symbolise corporate Australia’s insulation from the real world, will return next year.

The race attracted controversy – and the hashtag #yachtbanter – in 2017 when executives used the occasion to call for cuts to penalty rates, while in 2015 McGuire drew gasps from lunchers by saying that “you’ve got to love Australia, when all the Muslims are delivering the postage and parcels” in reference to Fahour.

KPMG’s spokeswoman said clients and crew would instead get a “scaled-back lunch” and it would be making a donation to bushfire support.

Updated

But Albanese does offer his view of why people are angry.

One of the reasons why we have seen some frustration expressed by people on the ground, they don’t want to be told it’s a natural disaster.

Australia’s had natural disasters in the past. We haven’t, in my lifetime, had people on beaches waiting to be evacuated in life jackets sending boats out to sea like it’s a peacetime version of something that we have seen during wartime. We have not seen that.

This is not business as usual.

Updated

Albanese is asked to characterise the PM’s response to the crisis. He declines, saying he’s not a commentator and it’s his just to put forward practical suggestions.

I’ve been constructive and I’ll continue to do so. In November, I called for Coag to meet.

I called for the prime minister to meet with the former fire chiefs who have hundreds of years of expertise between them.

I called for Coag to consider our aerial firefighting capacity, I called for a scheme to support our volunteer firefighters in terms of economic compensation. I called for a national disaster plan to be put in place. I called for climate change and its impact including adaptation and mitigation, to be on the agenda.

Updated

Labor leader Anthony Albanese is speaking to the media now.

He reiterates his calls for national response to the bushfire crisis. He notes that the national security committee of cabinet will only meet on Monday.

I’m not quite sure why it takes that long as a former member of the national security committee to convene a meeting like that.

It can be convened of course by its very nature on very short notice. I do think that the failure of Coag to meet until March is not a circumstance which, in my view, is justifiable.

Updated

Updated

Man confirmed dead at Belowra, NSW

NSW police have said a man has died at Belowra. He was unaccounted for and presumed dead, but they have now confirmed the tragic news.

The police statement reads:

NSW police force has confirmed a seventh person has died in bushfires impacting the state’s south coast.

On Tuesday (31 December 2019), officers from South Coast Police District were informed a 72-year-old man was unaccounted for at Belowra, about 50km north west of Cobargo, after a large-scale bushfire impacted the area.

Yesterday (Thursday 2 January 2020), officers were able to access the site and located a body in a vehicle on Belowra Road.

While the body has not been formally identified, it is believed to be the 72-year-old man.

Inquiries are continuing, and reports will be prepared for the information of the coroner.

Seven people have now died in the bushfire emergency affecting the NSW south coast. An eighth man, a NSW RFS volunteer, died while fighting a fire at Jingellic on Monday (30 December 2019).

Detectives from South Coast Police District have now established Strike Force Indarra to investigate all aspects of the fires.

This will include investigating the seven fatalities that occurred in the district, loss of livestock, properties damaged and destroyed, and the cause of the fires.

As the bushfire emergency continues, people are urged to obey direction of emergency services and to monitor the Rural Fire Service NSW website www.rfs.gov.au and www.livetraffic.com for road closures.

Emergency services are also reminding the community not to contact Triple Zero (000) unless there is an emergency.

Updated

More from Morrison on the anger from people he’s visited. Mitchell noted in the interview they have not only heckled him, but others have refused to shake his hand.

“I know people are angry and they will often fixate whether it’s a prime minister or someone else,” Morrison says.

“I understand that, I understand the emotion, I understand the hurt, the anger, the frustration. What we will do is just continue to use every resource and person we have to assist the situation.”

Updated

Mitchell asks Morrison about Andrew Constance’s comments saying the PM got the welcome “he probably deserved” when he was heckled and abused at Cobargo.

“I haven’t seen those comments,” Morrison replies.

3AW’s Neil Mitchell turns to the angry reaction Morrison has received at fire grounds. Why are they angry, at you, Mitchell asks.

“People are angry and people are upset,” Morrison says. “Whether they’re angry with me or or they’re angry about their situation, all I know is that they’re hurting, and it’s my job to try and offer some comfort and support.

“That’s my job, I don’t take these things personally, why would I?”

Updated

More on the evacuation in Mallacoota. Gippsland Nationals MP Darren Chester has told the ABC that 25 people have been evacuated by Spartan aircraft.

Some have been questioning the involvement of the ADF this fire season. Or more specifically wondering why they haven’t been more prominently involved.

As the Defence Department has also been stressing, Morrison tells Mitchell “they are not new to the scene”. Their involvement has been “prolonged and sustained”, he says.

And he notes that Daniel Andrews has welcomed the cooperation between the state and federal authorities, which includes the military.

The prime minister Scott Morrison has just been on 3AW with Neil Mitchell. He will be touring East Gippsland today.

Asked if the current situation is the “new normal”, Morrison says “it’s a very important question ... but we have to understand that it’s on the back of a very severe drought”.

He also notes that “fires are different because of the prolonged nature of the season across the country”.

Daniel Andrews says 28 people now unaccounted for in Victoria

The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, is fronting the media and says that the number of people who are now unaccounted for has increased to 28.

The figure was 17 yesterday.

“We have grave fears for the safety and well beingof those 28 people who cannot be located,” he says.

“Having said that, though, these numbers will move around. A number of people who were part of the original 17 were located yesterday.”

Stay tuned.

The evacuations have begun at the isolated Victorian coastal town of Mallacoota. Authorities say 800 people will be relocated using the Navy vessel HMAS Choules. Others will be airlifted out of the town.

Updated

The emergency services minister is reportedly still not back in the job. He’s been on holidays in Europe.

His boss, the premier Gladys Berejiklian, declared a state of emergency in NSW yesterday.

There were a few other awkward moments for Scott Morrison last night.

NSW deputy police commissioner Gary Worboys acknowledges it’s been a long night for people trying to get out of the south coast.

And he says there will be plenty of congestion on the roads today. Already, tens of thousands of cars have left the area, Worboys says.

This is probably quite clear given the mass evacuations, but a fairly chilling quote from Rodgers: “Our pure focus for tomorrow is about the preservation of life.”

Rodgers says crews are concerned about Batlow in southern NSW. “There is a 50km plus stretch of fire likely to come back across the border tomorrow. That combined with fires already in that part of the state will have a fire front stretching 60-70km long. We can’t stop those fires, we can’t stop those fires we already have.”

NSW authorities are providing media briefing right now. RFS deputy commissioner Rob Rodgers says there are currently 142 fires burning through the state.

He notes a fire south of Batemans Bay is very active and they are concerned that as conditions deteriorate tomorrow, the fire may flare up again.

“But even those areas that have already been impacted by fire, there’s still a lot of pockets among the bush that we are concerned about and conditions tomorrow, the fire may flare up,” he says.

“We’ll put out maps shortly that will pinpoint the ember buffer. Do not be in those areas. Go to a major centre away from those potential impact areas. It might be a large town. Go to the beach, an area that has already been burnt, just don’t be there.”

Updated

Scott Morrison 'probably deserved' heckling from fire victims, NSW Liberal MP says

The NSW Liberal transport minister, Andrew Constance, has told Channel Seven that prime minister Scott Morrison got the welcome “he probably deserved” when he was heckled and abused by locals at Cobargo last night.

Constance represents Bega and lived through the terror of the fires on New Year’s Eve. Asked about the reaction to the prime minister. Constance said: “Well, I didn’t even know he was coming and I haven’t had a call from him.

So to be honest with you the locals probably gave him the welcome that he probably deserved.

I’d say this to the prime minister today: the nation wants you to open up the cheque books, help people rebuild their lives.

I know this is tough and I know I’m on his side of politics, but you know, Gladys and Shane Fitzsimmons came here two days ago and they obviously visited the fire-affected part of my electorate in the north. Glad’s going to come back, but this is the feeling that people are going through.

Asked what he’d like to the see the PM do, Constance said pointedly that he had “seen strong leadership out of Gladys [Berejiklian] and Shane [Fitzsimmons].”

He said he’s aware of a firefighter who rang Centrelink yesterday and “it was a terrible experience for him”.

Updated

As I mentioned, Scott Morrison copped an earful at Cobargo last night. The town was devastated by fires on Tuesday.

Channel Nine captured this footage but the news has travelled far and wide. It has also been prominently covered on CNN and the BBC.

Updated

Andrews is asked about the footage of Scott Morrison receiving a frosty reception in Cobargo last night. You might have already seen it, but I’ll post it here shortly because if you haven’t, you definitely should.

The premier says he understands that emotions are running high right now. But he adds: “I can only say thank you to the prime minister for the partnership we have. I have just spoken with him a few moments ago. He is in Victoria today.

“The partnership between our emergency services, led by Victoria police and the ADF, is unprecedented and I am grateful for the partnership and open dialogue and constant communication I have had with the prime minister. That is keeping Victorians safe.”

Updated

Andrews says he hopes it sends a “powerful and formal message to people ‘Don’t visit these communities and if you can, get out, you have to get out.’”

“All we can do is appeal to peoples’ common sense and the sense that there is a shared responsibility here,” he says.

“None of us should put other people in harm’s way. We cannot guarantee your safety if you stay and you may well cause other people to go into dangerous circumstances to try and provide assistance to you.

“Finally, there is a very large matter of getting trapped and being isolated. We don’t want to see any more people cut off in fire-affected communities.”

The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, is speaking on the ABC now.

Overnight, a second person was confirmed dead in East Gippsland. The state government has also declared a state of disaster, which allows authorities to forcibly evacuate people.

Andrews says it is the first time the state has invoked these powers. (They were established after Black Saturday.)

Good morning. I’m Luke Henriques-Gomes. Thanks for joining our rolling coverage of the bushfires crisis.

You’re joining us as a mass scale evacuation takes place across the east coast of Australia ahead of deteriorating conditions today and tomorrow.

We’ll be with you throughout the today with the latest news.

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