Three people missing as bushfires destroy homes in Australia's south-east

FILE PHOTO: This handout photo from the CFA Wandong Fire Brigade posted on their Facebook page taken on January 7, 2026 and released on January 8 shows a bushfire burning near the town of Longwood, northern Victoria. - CFA WANDONG FIRE BRIGADE/AFP

SYDNEY: Three people are unaccounted for as out-of-control bushfires rage in the Australian state of Victoria, destroying homes and burning through vast swathes of bushland, authorities said on Friday (Jan 9).

Victoria's Emergency Management Commissioner Tim Wiebusch told a news conference that firefighters were battling 30 active blazes, with the state's fire danger rating on Friday at "catastrophic", ‌the highest level.