 In late January, Victoria and South Australia experienced extreme fire conditions with temperatures in the low to mid 40s°C (104 °F) in Melbourne and Adelaide, higher in the northern parts of the states, and increasing wind speed.The fires in late January were precipitated by the accompanying 2009 Southern Australia heat wave.On 4 January, small fires in Koondrook, near Kerang, Victoria, burnt areas of River Red Gum forest along the Murray River.