<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Two adults and a child are missing in </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/victoria" rel="" target="" title="Victoria"><span>Victoria</span></a><span> as the state faces catastrophic fire conditions.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Two out-of-control blazes continue to burn near Longwood and Walwa, while overall, there are 40 fires burning this morning, including 30 active fires.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Bob Hill said Country Fire Authority (CFA) staff spoke with three people in the Longwood East area yesterday morning and returned to find the property destroyed by fire yesterday afternoon.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>LIVE UPDATES:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/live-updates-victoria-fires-heatwaves-nsw-evacuations-warnings/b3dd925f-8fcf-45f9-bb78-be279eda0b24" rel="" target="" title=""><strong><span>Local institution cancelled as destruction laid bare</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Emergency services are currently unable to investigate the home as the area is still a danger zone.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We have engaged the strike teams, and the impact assessment teams that we hope to have deployed to that location today, to make some preliminary assessments," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"As I say, the dangers are still presenting in that area, but our fire services are prioritising their efforts to go back to that location to identify if we can eventually and hopefully identify and find those three people safe and well."</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/victoria-fires-state-faces-catastrophic-and-extreme-fire-conditions/c57fd4c4-d767-4be8-827d-b37976be2ce7" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Victoria's Emergency Management Commissioner Tim Wiebusch has confirmed "community and residential" property losses in the Longwood fire.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span></span><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/australia-heatwave-wa-reaches-record-breaking-temperatures-hot-weather-update/8587f140-07e4-4634-96ca-9622b6e60ef3"><strong><span>WA reaches nearly 50 degrees as record-breaking heatwave lingers</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Many of these losses have been in and around the Ruffy area.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Approximately 1200 to 1600 hectares of a pine plantation have been destroyed by the Walwa fire, though no property there has burned down.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Wiebusch said the number of properties destroyed could not yet be confirmed, but that the Ruffy community centre and telephone exchange had been destroyed, along with multiple homes.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Wiebusch said firefighters would face "challenging and difficult" conditions across the state today.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Victoria is in the midst of a severe to extreme intensity heatwave, which is now being matched with damaging winds and storms today, that will result in our state seeing catastrophic and extreme fire danger," Wiebusch said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/rio-tinto-glencore-in-talks-to-merge-mining-company-market-takeover-news/fb8402bb-d483-486b-bb20-f88b42738e8b" rel="" target="" title="Rio Tinto, Glencore in talks to merge, form $300 billion mining behemoth"><strong><span>Rio Tinto, Glencore in talks to merge, form $300 billion mining behemoth</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"That means that any fires that are in our landscape already or those that start will be uncontrollable, undepredictable and will be very fast-moving."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A total fire ban is in place for all of Victoria today, which means no fires can be lit or are allowed to remain alight in the open air.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Wiebusch said the areas under catastrophic fire danger rating include the Wimmera, the south-west, north country and north central districts, while the remainder of the state was under an extreme fire danger rating.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"With the winds that we'll see today, there will be periods where our aviation fleet that is over 70 aircraft today will not be able to fly," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"So we are reminding communities to heed the warnings to leave now.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"If you're in a bushfire-prone area, a bushland area of Victoria, our strongest advice is leave now if you haven't left already.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"If you don't leave now, it could result in your life being lost."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Residents should visit the </span><a href="https://emergency.vic.gov.au/respond/" rel="" target="_blank" title="VicEmergency website"><span>VicEmergency website</span></a><span> for the latest updates and advice on fires in their area.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" 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