The black summer bushfires cast a dark shadow as people seek shelter at the Seymour disaster relief centre

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When 82-year-old Jan Sporry and her husband had to pack up and leave their home in regional Victoria – possibly for the last time – they struggled to choose what to take with them.

The couple and their kelpie Ruby moved to a disaster relief centre in Seymour on Thursday as firefighters fought blazes in the worst heatwave since the 2019-20 black summer bushfire season. The state braced for a day of catastrophic fire danger on Friday.