Australian firefighters used cool weather on Tuesday to try to strengthen contai...
SYDNEY - Australian firefighters used cool weather on Tuesday to try to strengthen containment lines around almost 200 wildfires burning in the country’s southeast, as Prime Minister Scott Morrison prepared to meet with insurance and bank executives to discuss the crisis.
The Insurance Council of Australia increased its estimate for damages claims from the fires to more than A$700 million on Tuesday, with claims expected to jump further when more fire-hit areas are accessible. Morrison, who has been criticized for his handling of the crisis, on Monday pledged A$2 billion to a newly created National Bushfire Recovery Agency, a commitment that could threaten his election promise to deliver the first budget surplus in more than a decade this financial year.
On the ground, firefighters were working to get as much control over the huge blazes as possible before forecast high temperatures and winds return later in the week, threatening to ignite a fresh wave of fires.
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