By William Ton and Callum Godde in Melbourne
The number of homes destroyed by bushfires has jumped in Victoria’s west as residents return to assess the damage.
Premier Jacinta Allan confirmed 44 homes have been lost at Pomonal in the Grampians National Park, up from 24 on Thursday.
“That’s pretty much half the town that has lost their homes as a result of that fire,” Ms Allan told reporters at Mirboo North in southeastern Victoria, which suffered heavy damage from Tuesday’s extreme wind conditions.
“There is going to be a lot of rebuilding.”
At least three businesses and 23 outbuildings have also been razed in Pomonal.
Another home was lost at Dadswells Bridge, to the north of the national park, in a separate bushfire.
Pomonal and Dadswells Bridge residents in Victoria’s west began returning to their properties on Thursday afternoon to survey the damage, after fire threats were downgraded.
Ms Allan said between the bushfires in western Victoria and the damaging storms in the east, around 15,000 calls were made to triple zero and Victoria’s State Emergency Service recorded its fourth busiest day for call-outs on record.
Grampians Tourism chief executive and community member Marc Sleeman said he was lucky his Pomonal home was still standing.
“It’s bittersweet when I know lots of friends and family have lost homes and lost businesses,” Mr Sleeman told AAP.
“I know we’ve lost a few sheds and boats and things like that, but small things in comparison to what other people have lost.”
Residents of Pomonal have been advised local tap water is unsafe to drink even if boiled.
Emergency relief payments of $640 per adult and $320 per child with a maximum of $2240 for a family are available for affected residents.
Payments of $49,000 are available to help eligible people who have lost their homes to rebuild.
People will be able to apply for the payments over the phone or in person at emergency relief centres in Ararat and Stawell.
Pomonal Primary School and two early learning remained shuttered on Friday due to fire impacts.
Almost all fires sparked in Victoria on Tuesday are believed to have been started by lightning strikes as severe storms lashed the state.
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