[1] Fire authorities advised that overall main areas of increased risk of bushfire in Australia at the start of the bushfire season were most parts of the Northern Territory, large areas of northern and central Queensland, and also western Victoria as well as parts of southeastern South Australia.
[1] On 1 February the Bureau of Meteorology announced that Victoria would swelter through a severe heat wave with temperatures up to 43 °C in Mildura.
[4] On 27 January residents of the township of Dimboola were evacuated with a fire burning out of control in the Little Desert National Park.
With a severe heat wave due to hit Victoria over the first week of February, the fire danger rating was high.
Residents in several towns in Victoria's west were advised to "leave immediately" as strong winds drive an out-of-control bushfire in the Grampians national park, the fire was expected to reach Red Rock Road by 8:30pm that night.
On 2 February a small bushfire in the states' far north west, in the township of Colignan caused the loss of 2 homes.
[citation needed] On 4 February, dry lightning swept over the states' east, causing multiple small bushfires, none of which reached substantial size.