Australia Bushfires - Human remains found as major bushfires tear through Victoria amid extreme heat warnings across southeast Australia.

In early January 2026, large bushfires in Victoria burned vast areas of land, destroyed homes and infrastructure, cut power to thousands, and led police to confirm at least one death after human remains were found in a fire-affected area. Severe heat and fire-danger warnings were also issued across parts of New South Wales and the wider southeast. As of January 13, 2026, the wildfire crisis in Victoria involved 12 major fires among a total of approximately 30 active blazes. These fires have scorched more than 400,000 hectares across the state. Key fire details reported on that date include: • Longwood: 137,000 hectares burned; located 100 km northeast of Melbourne. This fire resulted in the death of cattle farmer Max Hobson. • Walwa: 102,000 hectares burned; situated at the northern edge of Victoria near the NSW border. • Ravenswood: 4,100 hectares burned; located near Harcourt. Additional Impacts: • Structural Losses: More than 500 structures have been lost or damaged, including at least 179 homes. • Casualties: One person has been confirmed dead due to the fires. • Emergency Declaration: A State of Disaster was declared for 18 local government areas. • Economic Impact: Nearly 1,400 insurance claims have been lodged, with an estimated 20,000 livestock killed.