Selasa, 31 Desember 2019

Thousands Flee to Shore as Australia Fires Turn Skies Blood Red - The New York Times

SYDNEY, Australia — As the fire stalked toward the coastal town of Mallacoota, the daytime sky turned inky black, then blood red. Emergency sirens wailed, replaced later by the thunder of gas explosions. Thousands of residents fled their homes and huddled near the shore. There was nowhere else to go.

On the last day of the warmest decade on record in Australia, the country’s east coast was dotted on Tuesday with apocalyptic scenes like the ones in Mallacoota, a vacation destination between Sydney and Melbourne.

Australia is in the grip of a devastating fire season, with months of summer still to go, as record-breaking temperatures, strong winds and prolonged drought have ignited huge blazes across the country.

In Mallacoota, residents in boats shared footage of themselves on social media in masks and life vests as they waited in the eerie light. Others opted to stay and defend homes, likening burning trees to “exploding infernos” and describing the roar of the blazes.

In Batemans Bay, four hours north, residents sat on folding chairs along the beach, life rafts at the ready, as a fire encircled the town and burned homes. To the south, in Cobargo, a father and son died in a blaze, bringing the death toll to at least 11 in this season’s fires.

As several fires burned out of control, thousands were stranded in evacuation centers in other towns along the coast as firefighters told people to stay put. Tens of thousands of people were without power, the Australian military was authorized to deploy aircraft and naval vessels, and the government requested firefighting help from Canada and the United States.

In Sydney, where heavy smoke from fires has obscured the sun many days this summer, officials rejected calls to cancel the city’s signature New Year’s Eve fireworks display after the Rural Fire Service in New South Wales approved the celebration.

Still, the service’s commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, said on Tuesday that this fire season was one of the worst ever, with more than 900 homes destroyed in New South Wales and millions of acres burned. One blaze has reached the western part of Sydney.

The fires have been so fierce that they have created their own weather systems and forced volunteer firefighters to work around the clock. On Monday night, a volunteer firefighter died after a “fire tornado” in New South Wales caused a 10-ton fire truck to roll over.

The firefighter, Samuel McPaul, 28, was due to become a father in May. He was the third volunteer firefighter to die this fire season; the other two were fathers of young children.

In Mallacoota, just over the border in the state of Victoria, residents had spent Monday night preparing to evacuate. As the fire approached, some gathered at a community center, while others climbed into boats in bodies of water.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said one man filming his escape on a boat.

Ida Dempsey of Melbourne, who spends Christmas every year in the area with her family, also took refuge on the water.

“We couldn’t see a thing. It was pitch black,” Ms. Dempsey said. “We had face masks; the smoke was very bad.”

She commended fire officials for keeping people calm. “If we didn’t have a plan, I would have panicked a bit more,” she said.

In Batemans Bay, said James Findlay, who grew up there, the fire came so quickly that there was no hope to save his family home.

“Everything’s gone,” he said.

His parents, Mr. Findlay said, were in shock.

“People have lost their homes, their farms, and people have lost their lives,” he said.

“If this isn’t some kind of a sign that more should be done, then I don’t know what is.”

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2019-12-31 09:42:00Z
CAIiEDxSHZKufaO2PWTl_9SZpGkqFwgEKg8IACoHCAowjuuKAzCWrzww5oEY

Thousands had to take refuge on a beach as Australia wildfires raged - CNN

Early in the morning, about 4,000 residents and visitors were forced to leave their homes and vacation accommodation in Mallacoota, in the state of Victoria, authorities said.
The town activated its emergency siren warning of the imminent fire threat and residents headed to the seaside, following an evacuation plan previously outlined in community meetings.
The sky in Mallacoota was pitch black even at 10 a.m. on Tuesday.
"There's no way in or out," Mallacoota resident Jason Selmes told CNN after evacuating his home.
Thick smoke from the fires turned the morning sky pitch black. As the day wore on, the sky lightened to a bright orange, and the blazes began spreading through the town. Photographs from the ground showed homes burning and an approaching fire line.
Some people sought shelter in the sea. Ida Dempsey and her family were visiting from Melbourne, and evacuated to their boat, mooring about 200 meters (about 656 feet) from shore.
Three emergency strike teams were at the beach with the residents, and emergency services set up medical centers and safe evacuation locations, according to state agency Victoria Emergency.
Conditions became milder later in the afternoon, after a dangerous wind change bypassed the town. Country Fire Authority Chief Steve Warrington said it was "relatively good news," and that evacuees had cheered upon hearing the announcement.
Some people are now returning to their homes, while others remain on the beach. There are "a number of houses" believed to be destroyed or damaged, Warrington said.
However, the situation remains "dynamic and dangerous," and Warrington said there is still an emergency warning in place. A number of fires remain burning in the town and across the state that could spread across the East Gippsland region where Mallacoota is located. Warrington warned residents to stay aware of further alerts, and added that state authorities were still discussing potential evacuations.
Residents in Mallacoota, Victoria, fled their homes on Tuesday.
Victoria Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp said some communities in the state remain isolated, and food packs and other supplies are being organized for transport. Emergency crews are still working to determine the extent of damage by air, but suggest significant property loss across the East Gippsland region, he said.
Four people remain unaccounted for in Victoria with a "very real fear for their safety," state Premier Daniel Andrews said on Tuesday. He did not provide any further information on identities or exact locations.
Located in the far eastern corner of Victoria, East Gippsland is home to about 80,000 people, who are scattered across remote villages and towns. The region is popular with tourists, who go to see wildlife and hike in the national parks.

There is a nationwide fire crisis

As of Monday, there are more than 10 fires in the East Gippsland region alone, including three large ones that have been burning for more than a month, according to Victoria Emergency. Many of the fires were started on Sunday by dry lightning, and rapidly spread due to strong winds and hot, dry weather.
On Sunday, Victoria authorities urged residents and vacationers to evacuate, warning that "it is not possible to provide support and aid to all the visitors" in the area.
Residents warned it's 'too late to leave' parts of Australia's Victoria state as fires rage
Weather conditions are expected to improve in the next 24 hours -- meaning cooler temperatures and lower winds -- but will worsen again by the end of the week, bringing dangerous fire conditions, according to CNN meteorologists.
Fires have devastated parts of Australia for months. Across Victoria, 70 new fires started on Monday, of which more than 20 are still active. In the neighboring state of New South Wales (NSW), there are more than 100 fires burning on Tuesday, of which 60 are yet to be contained.
The death toll has been slowly climbing. Two people were found dead Tuesday in the NSW town of Cobargo, with a third person still unaccounted for. On Monday, a 28-year-old volunteer firefighter died in NSW after strong winds rolled his truck over. Earlier in December, two other NSW volunteer firefighters died after their vehicle hit a tree during firefighting operations.
More than 900 homes have been destroyed in NSW since the start of the fire season, and that number will likely increase as firefighters struggle to contain the massive fires.
The sky is turning orange in Batemans Bay, New South Wales, where residents are evacuating from bush fires.
In Batemans Bay, NSW, hundreds of families were also evacuating their homes on Tuesday under an eerie orange sky. "It was like we were in hell," vacationer Zoe Simmons told CNN. "We were all covered in ash."
NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons warned there are thousands of people along the coast taking refuge with "a long, difficult, dangerous night ahead." He said that the fires on Tuesday spread faster and further than previously predicted, adding: "it's been a truly awful day."
NSW and Victoria are some of the hardest-hit locations, but there have been fires occurring in every state across Australia as weather conditions worsen.
State and federal authorities have activated emergency resources and deployed thousands of firefighters since the fire season began in early September. The Australian Defence Force has sent assistance to multiple states, including air force aircraft and army personnel. The United States, Canada, and New Zealand have also sent additional firefighters to help.

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2019-12-31 09:08:00Z
52780530786337

Senin, 30 Desember 2019

Australia fires: Tens of thousands of people urged to leave popular tourist areas - CNN

Tens of thousands of residents and people on vacation were urged to evacuate Sunday, as authorities had forecast that several factors could make it an incredibly dangerous day in terms of fire risk.
"The extreme fire dangers, the strong winds that were forecast, and the very hot temperatures have all come as we thought," Andrew Tupper of the Victoria Bureau of Meteorology said at a news conference on Monday.
Several emergency warnings have been put in place throughout Victoria, meaning people in those areas are in "imminent danger," according to Victoria Emergency. Victoria Emergency have issued several warnings on Twitter telling people in a handful of villages in remote parts of the state "it is too late to leave" and advising them to stay inside.
The Australia Bureau of Meteorology said that fires in the region "exhibited very dangerous behavior overnight" that are "likely to worsen today."
East Gippsland is expected to be one of the areas most affected. Victoria Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp said a number of new fires broke out there Monday, and conditions aren't expected to improve until midnight local time.
"We have been telling people for more than 24 hours East Gippsland is at significant risk," Crisp said at a briefing Monday. "You should not be on the roads."
Located in the far eastern corner of Victoria, East Gippsland is home to about 80,000 people, who are scattered across remote villages and towns. The region is popular with tourists, who go to see wildlife and hike in the national parks.
A fire in nearby Mallacoota also has authorities worried. Crisp said the blaze began Sunday afternoon, and as winds changed direction it quickly shifted directions and traveled some 24 kilometers (15 miles) in about four hours, he said. The smoke columns from the fire rose some 14 kilometers (9 miles) high, and have begun generating their own weather systems.
"There's lightning coming out of these columns," he said.
Australia has dealt with a series of fires this summer that authorities have described as historic, unprecedented and "catastrophic." The deadly blazes have largely been caused by record-breaking heat and dry conditions.
Monday in Victoria was forecast to be particularly bad. The dry conditions, high temperatures -- parts of the state could reach above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) -- strong winds and thunderstorms all combine to greatly increase the risk of existing fires spreading or new ones sparking, Victoria Emergency said.
Lightning started 16 blazes in the state on Sunday, CNN affiliate 7 News reported.
A change in wind direction is forecast on Monday night, which could bring a drop in temperatures, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology reported. However, more thunderstorms are also forecast, carrying the threat of "damaging" and "destructive" winds.
Fires are also burning in the neighboring state of South Australia, where some areas are experiencing "catastrophic fire danger," the highest warning on the scale, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

Petition to cancel fireworks

For weeks, the New South Wales capital of Sydney has been shrouded in smoke from fires burning across the state -- leading to calls for the city's famed New Year's Eve fireworks to be canceled.
NSW has been the hardest hit by the prolonged fire season, and conditions there are also expected to deteriorate over the next two days.
One volunteer firefighter was killed in New South Wales on Monday, while two others suffered burns battling the same fire, the NSW Rural Fire Service said. It is believed the firefighters were in a truck when their truck rolled over in the high winds, the agency said on Twitter.
Sydney's annual fireworks display was approved Monday, according to the NSW Rural Fire Service, despite more than a quarter of a million people signing a petition asking the government to redistribute fireworks show funds towards firefighting efforts.
Sydney's Lord Mayor Clover Moore said she had "been moved by the outpouring of support and care for the community," but the event would continue as planned.
"Our fireworks are planned 15 months in advance and most of the budget -- which is largely allocated to crowd safety and cleaning measures -- has already been spent," she said.
Fireworks erupt over Sydney's Harbour Bridge and Opera House during the fireworks show on January 1, 2019.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Sunday the celebration should go ahead because it is "important to send a message to the world."
"Subject to the safety considerations, I can think of no better time to express to the world just how optimistic and positive we are as a country," he said.
John Barilaro, the deputy premier of NSW, tweeted on Monday that the fireworks should be canceled.
"The risk is too high and we must respect our exhausted (Rural Fire Service) volunteers. If regional areas have had fireworks banned, then let's not have two classes of citizens. We're all in this crisis together," he said.

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2019-12-30 11:41:00Z
52780525070715

Australia fires: Tens of thousands of people urged to leave popular tourist areas - CNN

Tens of thousands of residents and people on vacation were urged to evacuate Sunday, as authorities had forecast that several factors could make it an incredibly dangerous day in terms of fire risk.
"The extreme fire dangers, the strong winds that were forecast, and the very hot temperatures have all come as we thought," Andrew Tupper of the Victoria Bureau of Meteorology said at a news conference on Monday.
Several emergency warnings have been put in place throughout Victoria, meaning people in those areas are in "imminent danger," according to Victoria Emergency. Victoria Emergency have issued several warnings on Twitter telling people in a handful of villages in remote parts of the state "it is too late to leave" and advising them to stay inside.
The Australia Bureau of Meteorology said that fires in the region "exhibited very dangerous behavior overnight" that are "likely to worsen today."
East Gippsland is expected to be one of the areas most affected. Victoria Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp said a number of new fires broke out there Monday, and conditions aren't expected to improve until midnight local time.
"We have been telling people for more than 24 hours East Gippsland is at significant risk," Crisp said at a briefing Monday. "You should not be on the roads."
Located in the far eastern corner of Victoria, East Gippsland is home to about 80,000 people, who are scattered across remote villages and towns. The region is popular with tourists, who go to see wildlife and hike in the national parks.
A fire in nearby Mallacoota also has authorities worried. Crisp said the blaze began Sunday afternoon, and as winds changed direction it quickly shifted directions and traveled some 24 kilometers (15 miles) in about four hours, he said. The smoke columns from the fire rose some 14 kilometers (9 miles) high, and have begun generating their own weather systems.
"There's lightning coming out of these columns," he said.
Australia has dealt with a series of fires this summer that authorities have described as historic, unprecedented and "catastrophic." The deadly blazes have largely been caused by record-breaking heat and dry conditions.
Monday in Victoria was forecast to be particularly bad. The dry conditions, high temperatures -- parts of the state could reach above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) -- strong winds and thunderstorms all combine to greatly increase the risk of existing fires spreading or new ones sparking, Victoria Emergency said.
Lightning started 16 blazes in the state on Sunday, CNN affiliate 7 News reported.
A change in wind direction is forecast on Monday night, which could bring a drop in temperatures, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology reported. However, more thunderstorms are also forecast, carrying the threat of "damaging" and "destructive" winds.
Fires are also burning in the neighboring state of South Australia, where some areas are experiencing "catastrophic fire danger," the highest warning on the scale, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

Petition to cancel fireworks

For weeks, the New South Wales capital of Sydney has been shrouded in smoke from fires burning across the state -- leading to calls for the city's famed New Year's Eve fireworks to be canceled.
NSW has been the hardest hit by the prolonged fire season, and conditions there are also expected to deteriorate over the next two days.
One volunteer firefighter was killed in New South Wales on Monday, while two others suffered burns battling the same fire, the NSW Rural Fire Service said. It is believed the firefighters were in a truck when their truck rolled over in the high winds, the agency said on Twitter.
Sydney's annual fireworks display was approved Monday, according to the NSW Rural Fire Service, despite more than a quarter of a million people signing a petition asking the government to redistribute fireworks show funds towards firefighting efforts.
Sydney's Lord Mayor Clover Moore said she had "been moved by the outpouring of support and care for the community," but the event would continue as planned.
"Our fireworks are planned 15 months in advance and most of the budget -- which is largely allocated to crowd safety and cleaning measures -- has already been spent," she said.
Fireworks erupt over Sydney's Harbour Bridge and Opera House during the fireworks show on January 1, 2019.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Sunday the celebration should go ahead because it is "important to send a message to the world."
"Subject to the safety considerations, I can think of no better time to express to the world just how optimistic and positive we are as a country," he said.
John Barilaro, the deputy premier of NSW, tweeted on Monday that the fireworks should be canceled.
"The risk is too high and we must respect our exhausted (Rural Fire Service) volunteers. If regional areas have had fireworks banned, then let's not have two classes of citizens. We're all in this crisis together," he said.

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2019-12-30 10:42:00Z
52780525070715

Australia fires: Tens of thousands of people urged to leave popular tourist areas - CNN

Tens of thousands of residents and people on vacation were urged to evacuate Sunday, as authorities had forecast that several factors could make it an incredibly dangerous day in terms of fire risk.
"The extreme fire dangers, the strong winds that were forecast, and the very hot temperatures have all come as we thought," Andrew Tupper of the Victoria Bureau of Meteorology said at a news conference on Monday.
Several emergency warnings have been put in place throughout Victoria, meaning people in those areas are in "imminent danger," according to Victoria Emergency. Victoria Emergency have issued several warnings on Twitter telling people in a handful of villages in remote parts of the state "it is too late to leave" and advising them to stay inside.
The Australia Bureau of Meteorology said that fires in the region "exhibited very dangerous behavior overnight" that are "likely to worsen today."
East Gippsland is expected to be one of the areas most affected. Victoria Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp said a number of new fires broke out there Monday, and conditions aren't expected to improve until midnight local time.
"We have been telling people for more than 24 hours East Gippsland is at significant risk," Crisp said at a briefing Monday. "You should not be on the roads."
Located in the far eastern corner of Victoria, East Gippsland is home to about 80,000 people, who are scattered across remote villages and towns. The region is popular with tourists, who go to see wildlife and hike in the national parks.
A fire in nearby Mallacoota also has authorities worried. Crisp said the blaze began Sunday afternoon, and as winds changed direction it quickly shifted directions and traveled some 24 kilometers (15 miles) in about four hours, he said. The smoke columns from the fire rose some 14 kilometers (9 miles) high, and have begun generating their own weather systems.
"There's lightning coming out of these columns," he said.
Australia has dealt with a series of fires this summer that authorities have described as historic, unprecedented and "catastrophic." The deadly blazes have largely been caused by record-breaking heat and dry conditions.
Monday in Victoria was forecast to be particularly bad. The dry conditions, high temperatures -- parts of the state could reach above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) -- strong winds and thunderstorms all combine to greatly increase the risk of existing fires spreading or new ones sparking, Victoria Emergency said.
Lightning started 16 blazes in the state on Sunday, CNN affiliate 7 News reported.
A change in wind direction is forecast on Monday night, which could bring a drop in temperatures, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology reported. However, more thunderstorms are also forecast, carrying the threat of "damaging" and "destructive" winds.
Fires are also burning in the neighboring state of South Australia, where some areas are experiencing "catastrophic fire danger," the highest warning on the scale, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

Petition to cancel fireworks

For weeks, the New South Wales capital of Sydney has been shrouded in smoke from fires burning across the state -- leading to calls for the city's famed New Year's Eve fireworks to be canceled.
NSW has been the hardest hit by the prolonged fire season, and conditions there are also expected to deteriorate over the next two days.
One volunteer firefighter was killed in New South Wales on Monday, while two others suffered burns battling the same fire, the NSW Rural Fire Service said. It is believed the firefighters were in a truck when their truck rolled over in the high winds, the agency said on Twitter.
Sydney's annual fireworks display was approved Monday, according to the NSW Rural Fire Service, despite more than a quarter of a million people signing a petition asking the government to redistribute fireworks show funds towards firefighting efforts.
Sydney's Lord Mayor Clover Moore said she had "been moved by the outpouring of support and care for the community," but the event would continue as planned.
"Our fireworks are planned 15 months in advance and most of the budget -- which is largely allocated to crowd safety and cleaning measures -- has already been spent," she said.
Fireworks erupt over Sydney's Harbour Bridge and Opera House during the fireworks show on January 1, 2019.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Sunday the celebration should go ahead because it is "important to send a message to the world."
"Subject to the safety considerations, I can think of no better time to express to the world just how optimistic and positive we are as a country," he said.
John Barilaro, the deputy premier of NSW, tweeted on Monday that the fireworks should be canceled.
"The risk is too high and we must respect our exhausted (Rural Fire Service) volunteers. If regional areas have had fireworks banned, then let's not have two classes of citizens. We're all in this crisis together," he said.

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2019-12-30 10:30:00Z
52780525070715

Australia fires: Tens of thousands of people urged to leave popular tourist areas - CNN

Tens of thousands of residents and people on vacation were urged to evacuate Sunday, as authorities had forecast that several factors could make it an incredibly dangerous day in terms of fire risk.
"The extreme fire dangers, the strong winds that were forecast, and the very hot temperatures have all come as we thought," Andrew Tupper of the Victoria Bureau of Meteorology said at a news conference on Monday.
Several emergency warnings have been put in place throughout Victoria, meaning people in those areas are in "imminent danger," according to Victoria Emergency. Victoria Emergency have issued several warnings on Twitter telling people in a handful of villages in remote parts of the state "it is too late to leave" and advising them to stay inside.
The Australia Bureau of Meteorology said that fires in the region "exhibited very dangerous behavior overnight" that are "likely to worsen today."
East Gippsland is expected to be one of the areas most affected. Victoria Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp said a number of new fires broke out there Monday, and conditions aren't expected to improve until midnight local time.
"We have been telling people for more than 24 hours East Gippsland is at significant risk," Crisp said at a briefing Monday. "You should not be on the roads."
Located in the far eastern corner of Victoria, East Gippsland is home to about 80,000 people, who are scattered across remote villages and towns. The region is popular with tourists, who go to see wildlife and hike in the national parks.
A fire in nearby Mallacoota also has authorities worried. Crisp said the blaze began Sunday afternoon, and as winds changed direction it quickly shifted directions and traveled some 24 kilometers (15 miles) in about four hours, he said. The smoke columns from the fire rose some 14 kilometers (9 miles) high, and have begun generating their own weather systems.
"There's lightning coming out of these columns," he said.
Australia has dealt with a series of fires this summer that authorities have described as historic, unprecedented and "catastrophic." The deadly blazes have largely been caused by record-breaking heat and dry conditions.
Monday in Victoria was forecast to be particularly bad. The dry conditions, high temperatures -- parts of the state could reach above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) -- strong winds and thunderstorms all combine to greatly increase the risk of existing fires spreading or new ones sparking, Victoria Emergency said.
Lightning started 16 blazes in the state on Sunday, CNN affiliate 7 News reported.
A change in wind direction is forecast on Monday night, which could bring a drop in temperatures, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology reported. However, more thunderstorms are also forecast, carrying the threat of "damaging" and "destructive" winds.
Fires are also burning in the neighboring state of South Australia, where some areas are experiencing "catastrophic fire danger," the highest warning on the scale, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

Petition to cancel fireworks

For weeks, the New South Wales capital of Sydney has been shrouded in smoke from fires burning across the state -- leading to calls for the city's famed New Year's Eve fireworks to be canceled.
NSW has been the hardest hit by the prolonged fire season, and conditions there are also expected to deteriorate over the next two days.
One volunteer firefighter was killed in New South Wales on Monday, while two others suffered burns battling the same fire, the NSW Rural Fire Service said. It is believed the firefighters were in a truck when their truck rolled over in the high winds, the agency said on Twitter.
Sydney's annual fireworks display was approved Monday, according to the NSW Rural Fire Service, despite more than a quarter of a million people signing a petition asking the government to redistribute fireworks show funds towards firefighting efforts.
Sydney's Lord Mayor Clover Moore said she had "been moved by the outpouring of support and care for the community," but the event would continue as planned.
"Our fireworks are planned 15 months in advance and most of the budget -- which is largely allocated to crowd safety and cleaning measures -- has already been spent," she said.
Fireworks erupt over Sydney's Harbour Bridge and Opera House during the fireworks show on January 1, 2019.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Sunday the celebration should go ahead because it is "important to send a message to the world."
"Subject to the safety considerations, I can think of no better time to express to the world just how optimistic and positive we are as a country," he said.
John Barilaro, the deputy premier of NSW, tweeted on Monday that the fireworks should be canceled.
"The risk is too high and we must respect our exhausted (Rural Fire Service) volunteers. If regional areas have had fireworks banned, then let's not have two classes of citizens. We're all in this crisis together," he said.

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2019-12-30 09:17:00Z
52780525070715

Australia fires: Tens of thousands of people urged to leave popular tourist areas - CNN

Tens of thousands of residents and people on vacation were urged to evacuate Sunday, as authorities had forecast that several factors could make it an incredibly dangerous day in terms of fire risk.
"The extreme fire dangers, the strong winds that were forecast, and the very hot temperatures have all come as we thought," Andrew Tupper of the Victoria Bureau of Meteorology said at a news conference on Monday.
Several emergency warnings have been put in place throughout Victoria, meaning people in those areas are in "imminent danger," according to Victoria Emergency. Victoria Emergency have issued several warnings on Twitter telling people in a handful of villages in remote parts of the state "it is too late to leave" and advising them to stay inside.
The Australia Bureau of Meteorology said that fires in the region "exhibited very dangerous behavior overnight" that are "likely to worsen today."
East Gippsland is expected to be one of the areas most affected. Victoria Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp said a number of new fires broke out there Monday, and conditions aren't expected to improve until midnight local time.
"We have been telling people for more than 24 hours East Gippsland is at significant risk," Crisp said at a briefing Monday. "You should not be on the roads."
Located in the far eastern corner of Victoria, East Gippsland is home to about 80,000 people, who are scattered across remote villages and towns. The region is popular with tourists, who go to see wildlife and hike in the national parks.
A fire in nearby Mallacoota also has authorities worried. Crisp said the blaze began Sunday afternoon, and as winds changed direction it quickly shifted directions and traveled some 24 kilometers (15 miles) in about four hours, he said. The smoke columns from the fire rose some 14 kilometers (9 miles) high, and have begun generating their own weather systems.
"There's lightning coming out of these columns," he said.
Australia has dealt with a series of fires this summer that authorities have described as historic, unprecedented and "catastrophic." The deadly blazes have largely been caused by record-breaking heat and dry conditions.
Monday in Victoria was forecast to be particularly bad. The dry conditions, high temperatures -- parts of the state could reach above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) -- strong winds and thunderstorms all combine to greatly increase the risk of existing fires spreading or new ones sparking, Victoria Emergency said.
Lightning started 16 blazes in the state on Sunday, CNN affiliate 7 News reported.
A change in wind direction is forecast on Monday night, which could bring a drop in temperatures, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology reported. However, more thunderstorms are also forecast, carrying the threat of "damaging" and "destructive" winds.
Fires are also burning in the neighboring state of South Australia, where some areas are experiencing "catastrophic fire danger," the highest warning on the scale, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

Petition to cancel fireworks

For weeks, the New South Wales capital of Sydney has been shrouded in smoke from fires burning across the state -- leading to calls for the city's famed New Year's Eve fireworks to be canceled.
NSW has been the hardest hit by the prolonged fire season, and conditions there are also expected to deteriorate over the next two days.
One volunteer firefighter was killed in New South Wales on Monday, while two others suffered burns battling the same fire, the NSW Rural Fire Service said. It is believed the firefighters were in a truck when their truck rolled over in the high winds, the agency said on Twitter.
Sydney's annual fireworks display was approved Monday, according to the NSW Rural Fire Service, despite more than a quarter of a million people signing a petition asking the government to redistribute fireworks show funds towards firefighting efforts.
Sydney's Lord Mayor Clover Moore said she had "been moved by the outpouring of support and care for the community," but the event would continue as planned.
"Our fireworks are planned 15 months in advance and most of the budget -- which is largely allocated to crowd safety and cleaning measures -- has already been spent," she said.
Fireworks erupt over Sydney's Harbour Bridge and Opera House during the fireworks show on January 1, 2019.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Sunday the celebration should go ahead because it is "important to send a message to the world."
"Subject to the safety considerations, I can think of no better time to express to the world just how optimistic and positive we are as a country," he said.
John Barilaro, the deputy premier of NSW, tweeted on Monday that the fireworks should be canceled.
"The risk is too high and we must respect our exhausted (Rural Fire Service) volunteers. If regional areas have had fireworks banned, then let's not have two classes of citizens. We're all in this crisis together," he said.

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2019-12-30 08:25:00Z
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