Up to 400,000 hectares of Victorian forests have now been destroyed by two mega‑fires still burning at Mt Lawson–Walwa and Longwood, marking Victoria’s most destructive fire event since the Black Summer fires of 2019–20.
As the scale of the disaster becomes clearer, the state’s pine plantation estate is now facing its greatest threat in years. Wood Central understands that the Mt Lawson–Walwa fire has torn through a vast softwood estate, with The Age reporting that a 10,000‑hectare pine plantation—a key source of structural timber, pulpwood and biomass—has already been destroyed.
Statewide, more than 350 structures have been lost, and at least 395,000 hectares of forest and vegetation have burned. Communities are confronting the destruction of homes, livestock, and essential infrastructure, while the forestry sector braces for long‑term impacts that will reverberate across regional supply chains.
The crisis continues to deepen, with more than 20 bushfires still active, including 12 classified as major. Emergency‑level warnings remain in place at Walwa in the north and across parts of the Otway Ranges, with Premier Jacinta Allan today describing the disaster as “a devastating reminder of the tragedy that fire can bring to any community.”
HVP Plantations — the state’s largest softwood grower — confirmed that its north‑east plantations have been “significantly impacted”, though the full extent of losses is still being assessed.
“Our readiness during last week’s extreme and catastrophic conditions has transitioned to the next phase of active firefighting,” HVP Plantations said overnight. “While we’re still assessing the extent of the losses, our teams have been regrouping and reorganising for the long road ahead,” it said in a statement on its social media channels.”
“Stay tuned to the advice and warnings from our emergency service agencies to make good decisions. Monitor conditions, stay informed, and check multiple sources of information.”
Victoria’s Chief Fire Officer, Chris Hardman, said the next several days will be critical as crews work to contain further damage and prepare for a spike in weather over the weekend, warning that “there’s still some really challenging times ahead” and that firefighters “probably have seven to nine days to do some really good work to get around these fires.”
Meanwhile, the toll continues to rise across Victoria. The fatal Longwood fire has already destroyed 150 structures, while the Ravenswood blaze has claimed 47 homes and three businesses. In the Otways, Barongarook CFA captain Steve Brooke said the fires were the largest the region had seen “since Ash Wednesday in 1983.”
