Australia Wildfires Consume Nearly 900,000 Acres
Wildfires in Victoria, Australia, have claimed at least one life, demolished numerous homes, and scorched nearly 900,000 acres since last week, according to officials on Sunday. The blazes were ignited by an intense heatwave affecting much of the nation, which resulted in record-setting temperatures and produced the most severe fire conditions since the catastrophic Black Summer fires of 2019 and 2020. Most of the fires were initiated by lightning strikes last Thursday. Over 30 wildfires were active in Victoria on Sunday, as noted by Jacinta Allan, the state premier, during a press conference on Sunday morning. Some of these fires were located near the northeastern border with New South Wales, while others were found in Great Otway National Park, adjacent to the picturesque Great Ocean Road along the southern coast, or in areas north of Melbourne, the capital of the state and the second largest city in the country. While the heatwave subsided on Sunday after reaching highs above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) on Friday and Saturday, conditions remained warm and windy, necessitating a total fire ban across the region. “Today remains a challenging day for fire conditions in many regions of Victoria,” Ms. Allan stated, revealing that more than 860,000 acres had been impacted. “The weather continues to be warm, windy, and with existing fires already present.” One of the most significant wildfires was reported near Longwood, a town with fewer than 300 residents situated 70 miles northeast of Melbourne, a city with approximately five million inhabitants. The fire has a perimeter spanning about 250 miles and has resulted in the destruction of around 150 structures, according to Tim Wiebusch, Victoria’s emergency management commissioner. He mentioned that many of the hundreds of destroyed structures in the wildfires included homes. The remains of one individual were discovered in the vicinity of the Longwood blaze, as reported by Victoria Police, although the identity of the person has not yet been confirmed. Additionally, a severe fire caused damage in Harcourt, where officials indicated that 47 homes and three businesses were lost; this fire was reported to be 80 percent contained as of Sunday, according to Ms. Allan. Three firefighters sustained injuries while combating the wildfires, the authorities confirmed.
Published: 2026-01-11 07:02:00
source: www.nytimes.com
