In recent hours, Australian firefighters have been battling a “fugitive” fire a few hours’ drive from the city of Melbourne that has burned 10,000 hectares and forced thousands of people to evacuate.
Around a thousand firefighters were deployed to extinguish the fire Fire declared in the state of Victoria in the south of the country.
“They are supported by tankers (…) We are throwing everything we can,” said Fire Department Chief Jason Hefferman to ABC television. “I expect the fire to continue to be dynamic and volatile,” he added.
The flames have initially destroyed around 10,000 hectares of forest and agricultural land.
Emergency services urged thousands of people in 28 farming communities near the fire to leave their homes and go to emergency shelters.
After several wet years, Australia is facing one of the most intense fire seasons since the catastrophic southern summer of 2019-2020.
In the so-called “Black Summer,” wildfires ravaged the country’s east coast, killing millions of animals and blanketing cities in clouds of smoke.
SPRING: AFP