Tens of thousands of residents were asked to evacuate as firefighters in Australia continued to battle a massive bushfire amid an intense heatwave that authorities said could further spread the blaze in Victoria as it faces the worst fire conditions seen in recent years.&nbsp;

<h2>Thousands urged to evacuate</h2>

More than 30,000 residents were urged to evacuate their homes by Wednesday (Feb 28) morning after officials identified a potential fire impact zone that covers several rural towns.

The authorities in the Australian state issued an emergency warning for a grass fire located at Kleins Road, Dereel, on Wednesday evening asking residents to “Leave Immediately” in a post on X.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/wildfires-in-texas-city-calls-for-immediate-evacuation-halts-operations-in-the-nuclear-weapons-facility-694600">Wildfires in Texas: Immediate evacuation ordered, operations at nuclear weapons facility halted</a>

Victoria emergency services, in an update, said strong winds have the potential to make fire fighting difficult and asked residents not to wait “until the bushfire spreads closer before moving to a safer location.”&nbsp;

It added, “The fire could grow significantly and may become uncontrollable.”&nbsp;

As of 4:09 pm (local time) towns of Bayindeen, Ben Nevis, Chute, Elmhurst, Eversley, Glenlogie, Mount Cole, Mount Lonarch, and Raglan were declared “not safe to return”.&nbsp;

<h2>Situation in Victoria</h2>

“Today will be a very challenging day for firefighters,” Jason Heffernan, chief officer at Victoria fire department told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). He added, “Today is one of those days when communities may need to take immediate action at very short notice.”

Hundreds of firefighters continued to battle a massive blaze near the city of Ballarat. So far, the blaze which has been burning since last Thursday (Feb 22) has destroyed six houses, killed livestock, and burned more than 200 square kilometres.&nbsp;

<h2>'Catastrophic conditions'</h2>

According to Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology (BoM), hot, dry, and windy conditions have worsened creating “extreme to catastrophic fire dangers” in parts of Victoria and South Australia. Several thunderstorms are also forecast in the region which would lead to dry lightning.&nbsp;

The Victoria fire department chief warned that dry lightning could spark new fires while strong winds forecast could spread the existing one near Ballarat and urged people to reconsider any decision to stay back to protect their homes.

Catastrophic conditions have been forecast for Victoria’s Wimmera region as half of the state was placed under an extreme fire danger rating.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eruption-of-ash-from-popocatepetl-volcano-forces-suspension-of-flights-in-mexico-city-694578">Popocatepetl volcano spews ash, nearly two dozen Mexico City flights cancelled</a>

“Extreme fire dangers are coming to fruition, and in fact we’re currently seeing catastrophic conditions in Casterdon, Hamilton and Kanagulk in the Wimmera weather district,” said Heffernan.&nbsp;

Victorian State Control Centre spokesperson, Luke Hegarty, told the ABC that authorities were on high alert, late Wednesday afternoon as cloud cover lifted, temperatures rose and winds picked up speed.&nbsp;

Temperatures spiked across several towns in Victoria, on Wednesday afternoon. Walpeup, in north-west Victoria, hit 43.5 degrees Celsius and Hopetoun, 400 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, reached 42.6 degrees Celsius, according to the BoM.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Tens of thousands of residents were asked to evacuate as firefighters in Australia continued to battle a massive bushfire amid an intense heatwave that authorities said could further spread the blaze in Victoria as it faces the worst fire conditions seen in recent years.

Tens of thousands of residents were asked to evacuate as firefighters in Australia continued to battle a massive bushfire amid an intense heatwave that authorities said could further spread the blaze in Victoria as it faces the worst fire conditions seen in recent years. Thousands urged to evacuate More than 30,000 residents were urged to evacuate their homes by Wednesday (Feb 28) morning after officials identified a potential fire impact zone that covers several rural towns. The authorities in the Australian state issued an emergency warning for a grass fire located at Kleins Road, Dereel, on Wednesday evening asking residents to “Leave Immediately” in a post on X. Also Read | Wildfires in Texas: Immediate evacuation ordered, operations at nuclear weapons facility halted Victoria emergency services, in an update, said strong winds have the potential to make fire fighting difficult and asked residents not to wait “until the bushfire spreads closer before moving to a safer location.” It added, “The fire could grow significantly and may become uncontrollable.” As of 4:09 pm (local time) towns of Bayindeen, Ben Nevis, Chute, Elmhurst, Eversley, Glenlogie, Mount Cole, Mount Lonarch, and Raglan were declared “not safe to return”. Situation in Victoria “Today will be a very challenging day for firefighters,” Jason Heffernan, chief officer at Victoria fire department told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). He added, “Today is one of those days when communities may need to take immediate action at very short notice.” Hundreds of firefighters continued to battle a massive blaze near the city of Ballarat. So far, the blaze which has been burning since last Thursday (Feb 22) has destroyed six houses, killed livestock, and burned more than 200 square kilometres. 'Catastrophic conditions' According to Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology (BoM), hot, dry, and windy conditions have worsened creating “extreme to catastrophic fire dangers” in parts of Victoria and South Australia. Several thunderstorms are also forecast in the region which would lead to dry lightning. The Victoria fire department chief warned that dry lightning could spark new fires while strong winds forecast could spread the existing one near Ballarat and urged people to reconsider any decision to stay back to protect their homes. Catastrophic conditions have been forecast for Victoria’s Wimmera region as half of the state was placed under an extreme fire danger rating. Also Read | Popocatepetl volcano spews ash, nearly two dozen Mexico City flights cancelled “Extreme fire dangers are coming to fruition, and in fact we’re currently seeing catastrophic conditions in Casterdon, Hamilton and Kanagulk in the Wimmera weather district,” said Heffernan. Victorian State Control Centre spokesperson, Luke Hegarty, told the ABC that authorities were on high alert, late Wednesday afternoon as cloud cover lifted, temperatures rose and winds picked up speed. Temperatures spiked across several towns in Victoria, on Wednesday afternoon. Walpeup, in north-west Victoria, hit 43.5 degrees Celsius and Hopetoun, 400 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, reached 42.6 degrees Celsius, according to the BoM. (With inputs from agencies)

Australia: More than 30,000 people urged to evacuate amid fire risk, ‘catastrophic’ conditions

Australia is currently battling an intense heatwave that has prompted the danger of a bushfire disaster. According to a report by the news agency Reuters on Wednesday (September 20), danger warnings have been issued for the Greater Sydney region, which is home to more than five million people.

Australia is currently battling an intense heatwave that has prompted the danger of a bushfire disaster. According to a report by the news agency Reuters on Wednesday (September 20), danger warnings have been issued for the Greater Sydney region, which is home to more than five million people. In its latest update, the NSW Rural Fire Services said over 600 firefighters and emergency personnel were battling to control 68 fires burning across New South Wales (NSW) state as of Wednesday morning. "With hot, dry and windy conditions forecast throughout the day, the Greater Sydney Region ... will experience extreme fire danger, while several other areas will experience high fire danger," the update said. Total fire ban in large swathes of NSW Total fire bans are in place in large swathes of New South Wales. Reuters reported that on Tuesday, residents of a popular holiday town in Tasmania were told to move to a safer location due to an uncontrolled bushfire fuelled by strong wind gusts. Meanwhile, fire crews rushed to conduct hazard-reduction burns in Sydney's west to prepare for the looming bushfire season, which authorities said could be the worst since the 2019-2020 'Black Summer' fires. During this disaster, around 15,000 separate fires burned across Australia, according to a report by the BBC. Greg Mullins, a former fire brigade chief, who repeatedly warned authorities about the Black Summer fires but got no positive response, told the BBC that governments have acted on calls to improve the equipment available to firefighters - the aerial firefighting fleet in particular. However, the report said that fuel management is another story, and one increasingly out of human control. Despite the scale of Black Summer, there are still dense swathes of bushland - for example surrounding the Sydney basin - which were left largely untouched. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Australia faces danger of bushfires as it battles spring heatwave

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday he wants greater federal powers during natural disasters, as authorities warned <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australian-megablaze-brought-under-control-273841">bushfires ravaging the country</a> for months were sweeping through a national park near the capital.

Morrison said he wanted to set up a "legal framework that would allow the Commonwealth to declare a national state of emergency" before the next summer bushfire season, adding the chain of command between states and the federal government remained unclear.

Although he gave no details, the plan showed the conservative leader moving to head off criticism he was too slow to act when the seriousness of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australian-pm-proposes-high-powered-inquiry-into-bushfires-response-273680">country's worst bushfire season</a> in a generation became apparent late last year.

Attacked by political opponents and media commentators for holidaying in Hawaii while the fires raged, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/australia-bushfires-scott-morrison-announces-new-recovery-agency-272334">Morrison </a>initially said the country's eight state and territory governments had the main oversight during natural disasters.

He later mobilised about 3,000 Australian Defence Force reservists to help regional communities <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australian-bushfires-2000-homes-destroyed-military-buries-4000-animals-to-prevent-diseases-272607">affected by the fires</a>. "It has long been the case that state and territory governments have primary responsibility for protecting the life and property within their borders," Morrison said.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australian-prime-ministers-approval-rating-singed-by-bushfires-273895">Australian Prime Minister's approval rating singed by bushfires</a>

"The scale of the bushfires this season, not least their simultaneous reach across many borders, has demonstrated to me the limits of these arrangements," Morrison said in a speech in the capital, Canberra.

<img alt="Scott Morrison" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="718272a9-03b3-49cb-b634-6b779f2924fa" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%284%29_24.jpg" /> 
[ Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison (Courtesy: Reuters) ]

Just to the south of the city, authorities warned people to stay away from some regional areas due to a 10,000 hectare (25,000 acre) forest fire, although no suburbs of Canberra itself were under threat.

Over the summer, Canberra has regularly been shrouded in bushfire smoke that has put its air quality among the lowest-ranked in the world and prompted government agencies to ask employees to stay home.

A week ago, the city's airport was closed briefly when bushfire burned near its edges. The Bureau of Meteorology has warned Canberra will be at the centre of a heatwave that will put the city's temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) for several days.

Since September, bushfires in Australia have killed 33 people and an estimated 1 billion native animals, while 2,500 homes and a wilderness area the size of Greece have been destroyed, prompting critics to accuse Morrison of not doing enough to cut the country's carbon emissions.

Morrison said Australia should adapt to changing weather patterns that would make bushfires more frequent, but "when it comes to practical safety of people living in bushfire zones, hazard reduction is even more important than emissions reduction". 
&nbsp;

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday he wants greater federal powers during natural disasters, as authorities warned bushfires ravaging the country for months were sweeping through a national park near the capital.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday he wants greater federal powers during natural disasters, as authorities warned bushfires ravaging the country for months were sweeping through a national park near the capital. Morrison said he wanted to set up a "legal framework that would allow the Commonwealth to declare a national state of emergency" before the next summer bushfire season, adding the chain of command between states and the federal government remained unclear. Although he gave no details, the plan showed the conservative leader moving to head off criticism he was too slow to act when the seriousness of the country's worst bushfire season in a generation became apparent late last year. Attacked by political opponents and media commentators for holidaying in Hawaii while the fires raged, Morrison initially said the country's eight state and territory governments had the main oversight during natural disasters. He later mobilised about 3,000 Australian Defence Force reservists to help regional communities affected by the fires. "It has long been the case that state and territory governments have primary responsibility for protecting the life and property within their borders," Morrison said. Also Read: Australian Prime Minister's approval rating singed by bushfires "The scale of the bushfires this season, not least their simultaneous reach across many borders, has demonstrated to me the limits of these arrangements," Morrison said in a speech in the capital, Canberra. [ Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison (Courtesy: Reuters) ] Just to the south of the city, authorities warned people to stay away from some regional areas due to a 10,000 hectare (25,000 acre) forest fire, although no suburbs of Canberra itself were under threat. Over the summer, Canberra has regularly been shrouded in bushfire smoke that has put its air quality among the lowest-ranked in the world and prompted government agencies to ask employees to stay home. A week ago, the city's airport was closed briefly when bushfire burned near its edges. The Bureau of Meteorology has warned Canberra will be at the centre of a heatwave that will put the city's temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) for several days. Since September, bushfires in Australia have killed 33 people and an estimated 1 billion native animals, while 2,500 homes and a wilderness area the size of Greece have been destroyed, prompting critics to accuse Morrison of not doing enough to cut the country's carbon emissions. Morrison said Australia should adapt to changing weather patterns that would make bushfires more frequent, but "when it comes to practical safety of people living in bushfire zones, hazard reduction is even more important than emissions reduction".

Australian PM seeks greater federal powers to protect the nation from threatening bushfires

By Darren Evans

The sheer scale and intensity of the Australian bushfire crisis have led to apocalyptic scenes making the front pages of newspapers the world over. An estimated 10 million hectares (100,000 sq km) of land have burned since 1 July 2019. At least 28 people have died. And over a billion animals are estimated to have been killed to date. Of course, the actual toll will be much higher if major animal groups, such as insects, are included in these estimates.

The impacts of climate change – in particular, the consequences of the increasing frequency of extreme weather events on all life should be abundantly clear. People finally seem to be taking this seriously, but there is an undercurrent of opinion about the “naturalness” of wildfires. Some are still questioning the role of climate change in driving the Australian bushfires.

It is true that wildfires naturally occur in many parts of the world, and benefit plants and animals in ecosystems that have been uniquely shaped by fire over evolutionary time. And people have been using fire to manage ecosystems for thousands of years. We could learn a thing or two from Aboriginal people and the techniques they have traditionally used to prevent bushfires.

But make no mistake, the scientific evidence shows that human-caused climate change is a key driver of the rapid and unprecedented increases in wildfire activity. What is particularly worrying is the extent to which this is eroding the resilience of ecosystems across wide regions. Yes, it is plausible to expect most plants and animals that have adapted to fire will recover. But the ecological costs of huge, repetitive, high-severity wildfires on ecosystems could be colossal.

Out of control

And it’s unclear how much the natural world can tolerate such dramatic disturbance. Wildfires are increasing in severity around the world. The Australian bushfires are larger than some of the deadliest recorded. Incidences are also increasing in ecosystems where wildfires are uncommon, such as the UK uplands. Not to mention the widespread deliberate burning of areas of high conservation value for agriculture, as has been recently reported in large parts of the Brazilian Amazon for beef production and in Indonesia for palm oil.

Unsurprisingly, given the shocking numbers of animals that must have perished as a result of these wildfires, many are questioning whether burned ecosystems can recover from such dramatic losses of biodiversity. In Australia, for example, some estimate that the fires could drive more than 700 insect species to extinction.

The world’s biodiversity is already severely struggling – we are in the midst of what scientists describe as the sixth mass extinction. A recent report has highlighted that about a quarter of assessed species are threatened with extinction. Australia already has the highest rate of mammal loss for any region in the world, signalling the fragility of existing ecosystems that might struggle to function in a warming, fire prone world.

Fears for familiar and charismatic animals affected by the bushfires, such as koala, have been expressed by conservationists. The outlook for already critically endangered species, such as the regent honeyeater and western ground parrot, meanwhile, is uncertain. But to establish the true ecological costs of wildfires it is important to consider biodiversity in terms of networks, not particular species or numbers of animals.

All species are embedded in complex networks of interactions where they are directly and indirectly dependent on each other. A food web is a good example of such networks. The simultaneous loss of such large numbers of plants and animals could have cascading impacts on the ways species interact – and hence the ability of ecosystems to bounce back and properly function following high-severity wildfires.

A fragile system

And so it’s key that we consider biodiversity loss due to wildfires in terms of entire networks of interacting organisms, including humans, rather than simply one or two charismatic animals. I have studied and recently published research about the loss of plants and animals due to wildfires in Portugal, using new methods in ecology that can examine the resilience of ecosystems to species extinctions. My team found that networks of interacting plants and animals at burned sites became fragile and more prone to species extinctions.

Our study looked at the impacts of a large wildfire in 2012 on one of the many ecological interactions that keep ecosystems healthy – insect pollination. We examined the responses of moths, which are important but often overlooked pollinators, to wildfire by comparing those we caught in burned and neighbouring unburned areas.

By collecting, counting and identifying the thousands of pollen grains they were carrying, we were able to decipher the plant-insect network of interacting species. In this way, it was possible to examine not only the responses of the plants and animals to wildfire, but crucially the impacts on pollination processes.

We then used these networks to model the resilience of the ecosystem more generally. We found that burned areas had significantly more abundant flowers (due to a flush of plants whose seeds and roots survived in the soil) but less abundant and species‐rich moths. The total amount of pollen being transported by the moths in burned areas was just 20 per cent&nbsp;of that at unburned areas.

Our analysis revealed important differences in the way these species interacted as a result of the wildfire. Although the study was only a snapshot in time, we were able to show that plant-insect communities at burned sites were less able to resist the effects of any further disturbances without suffering species extinctions.

And so as people start rebuilding their homes, livelihoods and communities in Australia following the devastating bushfires, it is crucial that governments and land managers around the world take sensible decisions that will build resilience into ecosystems. To do this, ecological interaction networks need to be considered, rather than specific species. Cutting-edge network approaches that examine the complex ways in which entire communities of species interact can and should help with this.

Over 45 years ago, the American evolutionary ecologist and conservationist Dan Janzen wrote: “There is a much more insidious kind of extinction: the extinction of ecological interactions.” We should all be concerned not just about the loss of animals, but about the unravelling of species interactions within ecosystems on which we all depend for our survival.

(Darren Evans is Reader in Ecology and Conservation, Newcastle University)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/bushfires-can-ecosystems-recover-from-such-dramatic-losses-of-biodiversity-129836">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

By Darren Evans The sheer scale and intensity of the Australian bushfire crisis have led to apocalyptic scenes making the front pages of newspapers the world over.

By Darren Evans The sheer scale and intensity of the Australian bushfire crisis have led to apocalyptic scenes making the front pages of newspapers the world over. An estimated 10 million hectares (100,000 sq km) of land have burned since 1 July 2019. At least 28 people have died. And over a billion animals are estimated to have been killed to date. Of course, the actual toll will be much higher if major animal groups, such as insects, are included in these estimates. The impacts of climate change – in particular, the consequences of the increasing frequency of extreme weather events on all life should be abundantly clear. People finally seem to be taking this seriously, but there is an undercurrent of opinion about the “naturalness” of wildfires. Some are still questioning the role of climate change in driving the Australian bushfires. It is true that wildfires naturally occur in many parts of the world, and benefit plants and animals in ecosystems that have been uniquely shaped by fire over evolutionary time. And people have been using fire to manage ecosystems for thousands of years. We could learn a thing or two from Aboriginal people and the techniques they have traditionally used to prevent bushfires. But make no mistake, the scientific evidence shows that human-caused climate change is a key driver of the rapid and unprecedented increases in wildfire activity. What is particularly worrying is the extent to which this is eroding the resilience of ecosystems across wide regions. Yes, it is plausible to expect most plants and animals that have adapted to fire will recover. But the ecological costs of huge, repetitive, high-severity wildfires on ecosystems could be colossal. Out of control And it’s unclear how much the natural world can tolerate such dramatic disturbance. Wildfires are increasing in severity around the world. The Australian bushfires are larger than some of the deadliest recorded. Incidences are also increasing in ecosystems where wildfires are uncommon, such as the UK uplands. Not to mention the widespread deliberate burning of areas of high conservation value for agriculture, as has been recently reported in large parts of the Brazilian Amazon for beef production and in Indonesia for palm oil. Unsurprisingly, given the shocking numbers of animals that must have perished as a result of these wildfires, many are questioning whether burned ecosystems can recover from such dramatic losses of biodiversity. In Australia, for example, some estimate that the fires could drive more than 700 insect species to extinction. The world’s biodiversity is already severely struggling – we are in the midst of what scientists describe as the sixth mass extinction. A recent report has highlighted that about a quarter of assessed species are threatened with extinction. Australia already has the highest rate of mammal loss for any region in the world, signalling the fragility of existing ecosystems that might struggle to function in a warming, fire prone world. Fears for familiar and charismatic animals affected by the bushfires, such as koala, have been expressed by conservationists. The outlook for already critically endangered species, such as the regent honeyeater and western ground parrot, meanwhile, is uncertain. But to establish the true ecological costs of wildfires it is important to consider biodiversity in terms of networks, not particular species or numbers of animals. All species are embedded in complex networks of interactions where they are directly and indirectly dependent on each other. A food web is a good example of such networks. The simultaneous loss of such large numbers of plants and animals could have cascading impacts on the ways species interact – and hence the ability of ecosystems to bounce back and properly function following high-severity wildfires. A fragile system And so it’s key that we consider biodiversity loss due to wildfires in terms of entire networks of interacting organisms, including humans, rather than simply one or two charismatic animals. I have studied and recently published research about the loss of plants and animals due to wildfires in Portugal, using new methods in ecology that can examine the resilience of ecosystems to species extinctions. My team found that networks of interacting plants and animals at burned sites became fragile and more prone to species extinctions. Our study looked at the impacts of a large wildfire in 2012 on one of the many ecological interactions that keep ecosystems healthy – insect pollination. We examined the responses of moths, which are important but often overlooked pollinators, to wildfire by comparing those we caught in burned and neighbouring unburned areas. By collecting, counting and identifying the thousands of pollen grains they were carrying, we were able to decipher the plant-insect network of interacting species. In this way, it was possible to examine not only the responses of the plants and animals to wildfire, but crucially the impacts on pollination processes. We then used these networks to model the resilience of the ecosystem more generally. We found that burned areas had significantly more abundant flowers (due to a flush of plants whose seeds and roots survived in the soil) but less abundant and species‐rich moths. The total amount of pollen being transported by the moths in burned areas was just 20 per cent of that at unburned areas. Our analysis revealed important differences in the way these species interacted as a result of the wildfire. Although the study was only a snapshot in time, we were able to show that plant-insect communities at burned sites were less able to resist the effects of any further disturbances without suffering species extinctions. And so as people start rebuilding their homes, livelihoods and communities in Australia following the devastating bushfires, it is crucial that governments and land managers around the world take sensible decisions that will build resilience into ecosystems. To do this, ecological interaction networks need to be considered, rather than specific species. Cutting-edge network approaches that examine the complex ways in which entire communities of species interact can and should help with this. Over 45 years ago, the American evolutionary ecologist and conservationist Dan Janzen wrote: “There is a much more insidious kind of extinction: the extinction of ecological interactions.” We should all be concerned not just about the loss of animals, but about the unravelling of species interactions within ecosystems on which we all depend for our survival. (Darren Evans is Reader in Ecology and Conservation, Newcastle University) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Bushfires: Can ecosystems recover from such dramatic losses of biodiversity?

Australia has finally received desperately needed rainfall in the state of Victoria after a day of hazy skylines. However, the rain has increased the worries of harmful ash washing into the rivers and contaminating the countries water supply.

Your Story: Finally rain in fire-ravaged Australia

Australia is battling a national emergency. Bushfires have ravaged 10.3 million hectares of land. At least 27 people have died. Over a billion animals are feared dead. But the worst is far from over. Fresh fires are expected in the coming days. Take a look. #Gravitas #Bushfires #Australia #AustraliaBushfires

Gravitas: Bushfire rages on in Australia

Temperatures in Australia have provided some much-needed respite to the Australian bushfires. Some dangerous fire conditions are now being forecasted for the end of the week. Cooling temperatures and calmer winds have now brought some relief to the Australian communities. #Australia #WION #Bushfires #AustraliaBushfires

Much needed respite from bushfires in Australia

Catastrophic conditions fuelled massive bushfires across <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/state-of-emergency-declared-in-australia-after-unprecedented-bushfires-269043">Australia's New South Wales </a>state on Saturday, with three blazes around Sydney burning at emergency level, while in South Australia one person was found dead in a fire zone.

Some major roads outside Sydney were closed and authorities asked people to delay travel, at the start of what is normally a busy Christmas holiday period, warning of the unpredictability of the fires as winds of up to 70 kph (44 mph) were set to fan the flames as temperatures soared above 40C (104F).

The heat and strong winds created "catastrophic fire conditions", the head of fire services in rural areas of NSW state told journalists.

"They are the very worst of conditions," said NSW Rural Fire Services Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons. "Given we have a landscape with so much active fire burning, you have a recipe for very serious concern and a very dangerous day."

Close to 100 fires were burning across NSW on Saturday afternoon - of which six were characterised as emergency level.

Just days out from Christmas, local police warned people to avoid travelling throughout the day as roads would likely close and temperatures would soar.

"Today is not the day to start your holiday," a NSW police spokeswomen said.

Close to 10,000 emergency personnel would be working across NSW on Saturday. The state's Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott said it was probably the largest emergency deployment ever seen in NSW.

Wind change expected

A southerly wind change is expected late on Saturday afternoon. It is forecast to bring winds of up to 90 kph (56 mph), which Fitzsimmons said would initially worsen fire conditions before leading to a dramatic drop in temperatures.

The death of two firefighters on Thursday night when their fire truck was struck by a falling tree as it travelled through the front line of a fire brought the wildfires death toll in New South Wales to eight since the start of October.

Shortly after the two deaths were announced, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/deeply-regret-any-offence-caused-to-australians-pm-scott-morrison-apologises-for-hawaii-vacation-amid-bushfire-crisis-269362">Prime Minister Scott Morrison </a>issued a statement saying he would return as soon as possible from a family holiday in Hawaii, a trip that had drawn sharp criticism as the wildfires crisis deepened.

South Australia, Victoria fires

In South Australia, authorities said one person had been found dead, another was critically injured and 15 homes had been destroyed by a fire in the Adelaide Hills, just 40 kilometres (25 miles) east of the state capital of Adelaide.

The death followed another fatality in South Australia on Friday, the result of a car crash which sparked a fire.

Authorities said fires had burnt through some 40,000 hectares in the state and 23 firefighters suffered injuries on Friday.

In Victoria, authorities said 142 fires had started in the state since Friday, with two burning at an emergency level on Saturday afternoon.

Australia has been fighting wildfires for weeks, with blazes destroying more than 700 homes and nearly 3 million acres (1.2 million hectares) of bushland.

Catastrophic conditions fuelled massive bushfires across Australia's New South Wales state on Saturday, with three blazes around Sydney burning at emergency level, while in South Australia one person was found dead in a fire zone.

Catastrophic conditions fuelled massive bushfires across Australia's New South Wales state on Saturday, with three blazes around Sydney burning at emergency level, while in South Australia one person was found dead in a fire zone. Some major roads outside Sydney were closed and authorities asked people to delay travel, at the start of what is normally a busy Christmas holiday period, warning of the unpredictability of the fires as winds of up to 70 kph (44 mph) were set to fan the flames as temperatures soared above 40C (104F). The heat and strong winds created "catastrophic fire conditions", the head of fire services in rural areas of NSW state told journalists. "They are the very worst of conditions," said NSW Rural Fire Services Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons. "Given we have a landscape with so much active fire burning, you have a recipe for very serious concern and a very dangerous day." Close to 100 fires were burning across NSW on Saturday afternoon - of which six were characterised as emergency level. Just days out from Christmas, local police warned people to avoid travelling throughout the day as roads would likely close and temperatures would soar. "Today is not the day to start your holiday," a NSW police spokeswomen said. Close to 10,000 emergency personnel would be working across NSW on Saturday. The state's Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott said it was probably the largest emergency deployment ever seen in NSW. Wind change expected A southerly wind change is expected late on Saturday afternoon. It is forecast to bring winds of up to 90 kph (56 mph), which Fitzsimmons said would initially worsen fire conditions before leading to a dramatic drop in temperatures. The death of two firefighters on Thursday night when their fire truck was struck by a falling tree as it travelled through the front line of a fire brought the wildfires death toll in New South Wales to eight since the start of October. Shortly after the two deaths were announced, Prime Minister Scott Morrison issued a statement saying he would return as soon as possible from a family holiday in Hawaii, a trip that had drawn sharp criticism as the wildfires crisis deepened. South Australia, Victoria fires In South Australia, authorities said one person had been found dead, another was critically injured and 15 homes had been destroyed by a fire in the Adelaide Hills, just 40 kilometres (25 miles) east of the state capital of Adelaide. The death followed another fatality in South Australia on Friday, the result of a car crash which sparked a fire. Authorities said fires had burnt through some 40,000 hectares in the state and 23 firefighters suffered injuries on Friday. In Victoria, authorities said 142 fires had started in the state since Friday, with two burning at an emergency level on Saturday afternoon. Australia has been fighting wildfires for weeks, with blazes destroying more than 700 homes and nearly 3 million acres (1.2 million hectares) of bushland.

Bushfires hit emergency level on Sydney's outskirts; one dead in South Australia

Residents in the path of the blaze in the Wollemi national park, north-west of Sydney, have been told it’s too late to leave on Sunday evening as the fire pushes closer to their homes. #Australia #BushfireInAustralia

Australia: Bushfires across Easter and Western coast, may get stronger this weekend

An Australian national has been accused of intentionally lighting a fire which led to out-of-control <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/lack-of-forecast-rains-to-prolong-australian-bushfires-threat-261992">bushfires </a>in order to protect his cannabis crop.&nbsp;

The police in Australia charged a 51-year-old man, who appeared before a court on Saturday, for deliberately setting fire at Ebor in New South Wales. The fire in Ebor is about 10,000 hectares in size and is still burning even after three days.&nbsp;

The accused made a bungled attempt allegedly at backburning which intensified the fires and he didn't take any action to extinguish the flames, according to the police. Backburning is a practice in which firefighters try to clear the undergrowth that fuels the fire.&nbsp;

Authorities blame arsonists for several bushfires across badly-hit New South Wales and Queensland and appealed the residents to give information regarding this which will lead to more arrests. &nbsp;

So far, four people have been killed, more than 300 homes destroyed and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/stay-alert-millions-of-australians-brace-for-catastrophic-bushfires-261487">millions are being affected </a>because of the hazardous smoke spread by the massive bushfires. More than one million hectares of land has been razed in over a week.&nbsp;

There were 130 fires that were burning in the two Australian states on Saturday, damaging large swathes of the area which has already been ravaged by a drought.&nbsp;

On Saturday, the uncontrolled bushfires led to demands in Australia asking the country's conservative government to do more to tackle climate change. &nbsp;

Firemen in New South Wales undertook backburning as temperatures dipped on Saturday night. The fires in New South Wales are expected to deteriorate early next week.&nbsp;

Parts of Queensland are facing the risk of an extreme situation as the forecast of high temperatures, low humidity combined with storms will make life difficult for firefighters to control the fires.

Australia is prone to bushfires and scientists believe that the reason behind the fires early this season is because of climate change which is leading to a rise in temperatures and sapping of moisture from the environment.

The Australian government has ignored growing calls of limiting the use of fossil fuels, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and is eager to protect the highly lucrative mining industry.

(with inputs from AFP)

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An Australian national has been accused of intentionally lighting a fire which led to out-of-control bushfires in order to protect his cannabis crop. The police in Australia charged a 51-year-old man, who appeared before a court on Saturday, for deliberately setting fire at Ebor in New South Wales.

An Australian national has been accused of intentionally lighting a fire which led to out-of-control bushfires in order to protect his cannabis crop. The police in Australia charged a 51-year-old man, who appeared before a court on Saturday, for deliberately setting fire at Ebor in New South Wales. The fire in Ebor is about 10,000 hectares in size and is still burning even after three days. The accused made a bungled attempt allegedly at backburning which intensified the fires and he didn't take any action to extinguish the flames, according to the police. Backburning is a practice in which firefighters try to clear the undergrowth that fuels the fire. Authorities blame arsonists for several bushfires across badly-hit New South Wales and Queensland and appealed the residents to give information regarding this which will lead to more arrests. So far, four people have been killed, more than 300 homes destroyed and millions are being affected because of the hazardous smoke spread by the massive bushfires. More than one million hectares of land has been razed in over a week. There were 130 fires that were burning in the two Australian states on Saturday, damaging large swathes of the area which has already been ravaged by a drought. On Saturday, the uncontrolled bushfires led to demands in Australia asking the country's conservative government to do more to tackle climate change. Firemen in New South Wales undertook backburning as temperatures dipped on Saturday night. The fires in New South Wales are expected to deteriorate early next week. Parts of Queensland are facing the risk of an extreme situation as the forecast of high temperatures, low humidity combined with storms will make life difficult for firefighters to control the fires. Australia is prone to bushfires and scientists believe that the reason behind the fires early this season is because of climate change which is leading to a rise in temperatures and sapping of moisture from the environment. The Australian government has ignored growing calls of limiting the use of fossil fuels, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and is eager to protect the highly lucrative mining industry. (with inputs from AFP)

Australian man accused of starting bushfires to protect his cannabis crop