A small town in Victoria, Australia, has been virtually wiped off the map after a fast-moving bushfire struck "like a bomb," leaving three people missing and reducing homes to ash.

The town of Ruffy, located in the Strathbogie Ranges, bore the brunt of the Longwood fire, which was fueled by extreme heat and erratic winds. The tragedy underscores the lethal unpredictability of the Australian bushfire season, a reality that is becoming increasingly familiar globally due to climate change.

The Human Toll

Police hold grave fears for the three missing residents—a man, a woman, and a child—who were last seen at a property that has since been confirmed destroyed. Firefighters had earlier urged them to evacuate, but it appears they were unable to leave in time.

• Community in Shock: "There is nothing left," said a local firefighter who lost his own home while battling the blaze elsewhere.
• Aerial View: Helicopter surveillance confirms "multiple properties lost," though the intensity of the heat has prevented ground crews from conducting a full damage assessment.
• Warning to Others: Authorities are using the tragedy to plead with residents in other fire paths: "Do not wait. Leave now. Houses can be rebuilt; lives cannot."

A Global Warning

As the search for the missing continues, the disaster in Ruffy serves as a harrowing case study of the new climate reality. Extreme weather events are no longer anomalies; they are direct threats to human survival.