Milder temperatures bring some hope of a respite from wildfires that have ravaged three Australian states, claiming 24 lives and destroying almost 2,000 homes.
This Saturday, Jan. 4, 2019 image provided by provided by Maxar Technologies shows wildfires east of Orbost , Australia. Australia's prime minister called up about 3,000 reservists on Saturday as the threat of wildfires escalated in at least three states, while strong winds and high temperatures were forecast to bring flames to populated areas including the suburbs of Sydney.
Thousands of firefighters fought to contain the blazes but many continued to burn out of control, threatening to wipe out rural townships and causing almost incalculable damage to property and wildlife. The latest fatality occurred at Batlow in New South Wales, where a 47-year-old man died Saturday night while defending the home of a friend from encroaching fires. New South Wales police said the man was found unconscious in a vehicle and could not be revived.
The deadly wildfires, which have been raging since September, have already burned about 5 million hectares of land. That’s more than any one year in the U.S. since Harry Truman was president. Morrison announced the decision Saturday and committed almost $14 million to lease four fire-fighting aircraft for the duration of the wildfire crisis.
“It is fair to say it was disappointing and some surprise to hear about these things through public announcements in the middle of what was one of our worst days this season with the second-highest number of concurrent emergency warning fires ever in the history of New South Wales,” he said.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Australian bushfires ease on cooler weather, death toll risesA weather change eased fire threats in southeastern Australia on Sunday after a ...
Read more »
Australian bushfires ease on cooler weather, death toll risesA weather change eased fire threats in southeastern Australia on Sunday after a ...
Read more »
'Millions of sparks': Weather raises Australia's fire dangerIn one of the largest evacuations in Australian history, tens of thousands were urged to flee as warnings of hot weather and strong winds are forecast to worsen already-devastating wildfires.
Read more »
Nearly Half A Billion Animals Have Died In Australian WildfiresNearly half a billion animals are feared dead after wildfires have ravaged much of the Australian wilderness in recent weeks.
Read more »
3,000 reservists called to help battle Australian wildfiresTwenty-three people have died in fires that have burned about 12.35 million acres of land and destroyed more than 1,500 homes.
Read more »
Koalas who manage to survive Australian wildfires 'face death by starvation,' says conservation groupNew South Wales Conservation Council spokesman James Tremain said the destruction of habitats meant animals like the koala would have nothing to eat.
Read more »