Victoria fires destroy 44 homes with as many as half of Pomonal residents affected, premier says

Jacinta Allan confirms people were unable to make triple zero calls during storms due to phone lines being down and power outages

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The Victorian premier says as many as half the residents of the town Pomonal have “experienced loss” from bushfires that broke out in the Grampians, with 44 homes confirmed destroyed.

The fires broke out on Tuesday, shortly before storms caused widespread power outages, with the state’s energy regulator investigating the collapse of transmission towers and more than 35,000 Victorians still without electricity on Friday.

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