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CANBERRA: Firefighters were late yesterday battling to save homes in Victoria as the heatwave continuing to grip southeast Australia caused more power blackouts and placed new pressures on hospitals.
Melbourne and Adelaide sweltered as temperatures again soared into a mid-40s furnace unequalled in a century.
Vast areas of bush, farmland and country towns are facing extreme fire risk, city commuter services have been thrown into chaos, and already-stretched health and emergency services are preparing for more as the run of baking days extends into the weekend.
A predicted southerly change will bring some relief, but it will be marginal for many - temperatures in many parts of Victoria and South Australia are forecast to remain in the mid to high-30s well into next week.
On Thursday fears of disastrous fires in the tinder-dry states became real as two fires in Victoria's LaTrobe Valley intensified, drew closer together, and raced towards a cluster of small towns.
Firefighters had been trying to contain the blazes since they erupted on Wednesday but yesterday afternoon, after battling throughout the night, warned that they may not be able to prevent them merging and racing into the towns of Mirboo North, Boolarra, Darlimurla and Yinnar.
The fire had already destroyed more than 2000ha of grassland and bush.
Despite a massive battle involving a huge Erikson helicopter, 17 other aircraft, 12 bulldozers, 70 tankers and 200 firefighters, the Country Fire Authority warned residents to either prepare to defend their homes or flee.
Late yesterday the towns were still on high alert as firefighters waged a desperate battle to save the communities.
Elsewhere, firefighters were trying to contain outbreaks at Ross Creek, near Ballarat, and another fire within 2km of homes on Melbourne's southeastern fringe.
In the city, and in some areas of regional Victoria, power supplies continued to fail despite assurances from state authorities, and rolling blackouts were organised to protect supplies running under Bass Strait to Tasmania - also in the grip of record temperatures. Commuters were also again hit by cancelled services.
In South Australia the Government yesterday warned more blackouts would roll across the state, following earlier power cuts that left tens of thousands of homes without electricity.
Massive demand for air-conditioning has added to mechanical failures that have pushed the state's electricity grid to its limits. Adelaide's tram and bus services have also been hit. And state health controller Dr Bill Griggs yesterday warned that hospitals are under pressure
and may have to open extra beds to cope with a surge in heat-related problems.
He told ABC radio that as well as cases of heart stress, hospitals were faced with patients with chronic diseases that had flared up because of the heatwave.
The state ambulance service reported a rise of up to 15 per cent in callouts.
