One person has died and about 135,967 hectares of land has been burnt in what began as two grass fires on the side of the Hume Fwy.

Firefighters were initially called to the Longwood area at 2.29pm on Wednesday, January 7.

About two hours later, the fire had burnt 128 hectares.

As emergency warnings to leave now or take shelter immediately flooded in, residents were cautioned that disastrous conditions would arise in the days following the initial blaze, with Friday, January 9 declared to have a Catastrophic Fire Danger Rating for LGAs across Victoria, including Strathbogie Shire, to the west of Benalla.

On Thursday, January 8, the fire began to spread from the Longwood, Ruffy, Tarcombe, Upton Hill, Dropmore, Caveat and Terip Terip region into Avenel, Euroa, Whiteheads Creek, Trawool and surrounds.

Relief centres were opened in towns deemed safe from the fire, at Benalla, Seymour and Mansfield.

At a community meeting on Thursday afternoon, CFA deputy incident controller Greg Murphy warned that there may be “no chance of controlling this fire” the following day.

“Catastrophic conditions, to us, means that the fire is uncontrollable, it is unpredictable, and it will move. And that’s tomorrow’s conditions,” he said.

A Watch and Act warning was first issued for Yea, Alexandra, and other surrounding townships on Thursday, with those in this region urged to leave immediately the following day.

In Benalla, the community did what it does best and offered support to those displaced, and emergency service volunteers.

The Northo opened its accommodation to those needing it.

When it was full, it put a call-out on social media for other local places with rooms to help - which many did.

Several local businesses also provided food and drinks to emergency service members free of charge.

During the evening of Friday, January 9, residents were alerted of an expected wind change, causing the fire to head back towards Strathbogie.

As the blaze continued to expand, Goulburn Valley Water requested locals limit their water use, with many residents taking to social media to say they had lost water pressure on Friday afternoon.

Temperatures cooled overnight; however, 14 warnings remained in place on Saturday, January 10, with the wind adding to the unpredictability of the situation.

At 10.30am on Saturday, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan declared a State of Disaster in 18 fire-affected local government areas.

Strathbogie Shire was included in this declaration.

Relief payments were also announced for those impacted by the blazes across the state, with the Victorian Government opening the Personal Hardship Assistance Program – payments which help to cover the cost of essentials like food, clothing, medication and accommodation.

On Sunday, January 11, emergency warnings had eased in many parts of Central Victoria, with stern warnings remaining in place for Longwood, Ruffy, Whiteheads Creek, Tarcombe and surrounds.

On Sunday afternoon, Victoria Police confirmed that human remains were found in the Longwood bushfire area.

Police accessed a fire-affected stretch off Yarck Rd at Gobur and found the remains 100 metres from a vehicle.

The victim has been names as Max Hobson, a local farmer.

The Victorian Premier issued a statement after the news broke, prior to the victim being named.

“While the person has not yet been formally identified, my thoughts, and the thoughts of all Victorians, are with their family and loved ones tonight,” Ms Allan said.

“... This loss will be felt far beyond Gobur, and it marks the first known fire-related fatality during what has already been an incredibly challenging period for our state.”

While parts of the blaze are yet to be completely under control, many of the emergency warnings have eased, and, as of 10am on Monday, January 12, there are no Leave Immediately or Take Shelter Now warnings in place.

As evacuees begin to return to their homes, there remains a level of uncertainty in the air at what they will find there.

It’s been confirmed that just over 150 structures have been lost as a result of the bushfire so far, including an historic primary school in Ruffy, as well as livestock, cropping land and vineyards.

Over 400 firefighting personnel have been on the scene in the course of the fire, using over 100 firefighting appliances, including vehicles.

As of Monday, a State Control Centre spokesperson said aircraft would be up again, and while cooler temperatures are welcome, the winds are still providing a challenge for firefighters on the ground.

The cause of the blaze is still yet to be determined.

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