Deputy Police Commissioner Bob Hill shared the devastating update during a media briefing attended by Premier Jacinta Allan and top emergency responders. The missing include two adults and a child from central Victoria, advised to flee their property Thursday as flames closed in. A follow-up check revealed total devastation – no sign of the family amid the charred ruins.

Ruffy, a town 105 kilometers northeast of Melbourne, reports multiple homes lost, with orders extending to neighboring towns and far northeastern communities. Officials have escalated four zones to ‘catastrophic’ risk levels, the gravest since the 2019 firestorm season.

‘Friday might rank among our worst fire days in recent history,’ Premier Allan cautioned, her voice steady but grave. She implored residents: statewide fires rage under dire conditions. Ignoring evacuation orders risks everything – leave now.

Weather woes compound the chaos: expect 46°C in the north, afternoon thunderstorms possibly sparking more fires via lightning, per Country Fire Authority’s Jason Heffernan. Firefighters face erratic blaze behavior as winds whip embers into new hotspots.

This unfolding disaster underscores Australia’s vulnerability to climate-amplified wildfires. Volunteers and federal aid pour in, but with conditions set to worsen, Victoria’s leaders call for national solidarity. The public is glued to updates, hearts heavy for the missing and displaced.