With temperatures in Victoria reaching 37 degrees Celsius and wind changes expected throughout the day, fire chiefs have issued stark warnings to rural communities to delay travel or leave their homes and seek safety in shelters.
Several fires are currently out of control across the state and Victorian Deputy Premier Ben Carroll said the possibility of further fires in the coming days was likely.
“Dangerous fire conditions are developing today and will continue until Saturday,” he told a news conference in Melbourne. “New fires can start anywhere and become dangerous very quickly.”
The largest uncontained fire is currently in the Grampians National Park and has burned 55,000 hectares so far, but no houses have been reported lost.
However, Emergency Management Commissioner Rick Nugent said many residential properties on the edge of the fire could be at risk.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if we had residential losses at some point,” Mr. Nugent said.
“The firefighters, I can say, are doing everything possible to protect lives and property.”
– Rick Nugent Commissioner for Emergency Management Rick Nugent of the state of Victoria (Australia)
An emergency alert was issued by fire authorities on Thursday for the small town of Mafeking, 260 kilometers west of Melbourne.
Residents were told they were “in danger and needed to act immediately to survive. The safest option is to shelter indoors immediately, as it is too late to leave.”
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that around 100 people from other Australian states are currently in Victoria to help local firefighters battle the blazes. The firefighters are assisted by dozens of water bomber planes.
Parts of the neighboring states of South Australia and New South Wales are also on high alert due to the heatwave and high fire risks.
The hot, dry conditions are being compared to the Black Summer fires that ravaged Australia’s two most populous states for months in 2019-2020 and burned 104,000 square kilometers in addition to destroying thousands of homes and killing 33 people.
Belgium
