Bushfires ravage Parts of Victoria and Western Australia
Harcourt, Victoria, Australia – January 11, 2026 – Bushfires are causing widespread destruction across parts of Victoria and Western Australia, with the town of Harcourt in the central highlands of Victoria especially hard hit. Firefighter Tyrone Rice lost his home in the blaze, a situation he described as “a kick in the guts” to Australian media.
Rice was actively fighting one of the bushfires when he learned his own property was under threat. Local fire captain Andrew Wilson described the destruction in Harcourt as “gut-wrenching.”
Reporting from the affected areas, Jack Ward, a reporter for Australia’s 9 News, told the BBC world Service that the scenes across several towns in Western Australia were “catastrophic,” with many homes reduced to “a tin roof lying on the ground.”
While attributing individual wildfires to climate change is complex, scientists agree that changing climate conditions are increasing the frequency of the hot, dry weather that fuels bushfires.
The fires are currently being battled by emergency services, and assessments of the full extent of the damage are ongoing.