Victoria bushfires: homes and sheds lost as blaze heads towards Elmhurst in state’s west

Thousands of residents from almost 30 communities near Ballarat told to ‘leave now’

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Homes have been reported lost as reinforcements start arriving to bolster firefighters battling a large bushfire in western Victoria.

Thousands of residents from almost 30 communities near Ballarat have been told to “leave now”, with emergency warnings and watch-and-act alerts issued.

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