Rabu, 01 Januari 2020

Australia wildfire death toll grows as military deployed to ravaged communities cut off by flames - Fox News

Military ships and aircraft have been deployed to coastal communities in southeastern Australia cut off by raging wildfires that have raced towards the coast, trapping thousands as the death toll from the apocalyptic blazes continues to grow.

Cooler conditions on Wednesday, the first day of 2020, allowed authorities to take stock of the damage from the latest blazes this week that have destroyed more than 200 homes and damaged roadways, cutting off coastal areas. Fire danger still remains high in New South Wales and Victoria states, where four people are missing.

Victoria Emergency Commissioner Andrew Crisp told reporters on Wednesday the Australian Defence Force was moving naval assets to the town of Mallacoota on a supply mission that would last two weeks and military helicopters would also fly in more firefighters since roads were inaccessible.

“We have three months of hot weather to come," Crisp said. "We do have a dynamic and a dangerous fire situation across the state."

Australia is deploying military ships to help communities ravaged by wildfires that destroyed homes and sent thousands of residents and holidaymakers fleeing to the shoreline.

Australia is deploying military ships to help communities ravaged by wildfires that destroyed homes and sent thousands of residents and holidaymakers fleeing to the shoreline. (ABIS Benjamin Ricketts/ADF via AP)

AUSTRALIA WILDFIRES TRAP THOUSANDS IN SEASIDE TOWN, MANY TAKE REFUGE ON BEACH AS FIRES TURN SKY 'PITCH BLACK'

On the last day of 2019, some 4,000 people in the coastal town of Mallacoota were forced to flee to the shore as winds pushed a fire toward their homes under a sky darkened by smoke and turned blood-red by flames. Photos from some of those trapped on the beach showed how the smoke turned the sky dark.

Stranded residents and vacationers slept in their cars, and gas stations and surf clubs transformed into evacuation areas.

"The fire just continued to grow," Mark Tregellas, one of the thousands who had to sleep on the beach, told Sky News. "The black started to descend and I couldn't see the hand in front of my face."

Dozens of homes burned before winds changed direction late Tuesday, sparing the rest of the town.

This Monday, Dec. 30, 2019 photo provided by State Government of Victoria shows wildfires in East Gippsland, Victoria state, Australia.

This Monday, Dec. 30, 2019 photo provided by State Government of Victoria shows wildfires in East Gippsland, Victoria state, Australia. (State Government of Victoria via AP)

"Ash started to fall from the air and then the embers started to come down. At that point, people started to bring their kids and families into the water," Tregellas said.

Victoria police said officers were working "around the clock" to help the community, with three police vessels that brought police to Mallacoota on Wednesday afternoon with water, a paramedic, food, and medical supplies.

In the New South Wales town of Conjola Park, 89 properties were confirmed destroyed and cars were melted by Tuesday’s fires. More than 100 fires were still burning in the state Wednesday, though none were at an emergency level. Seven people have died this week, including a volunteer firefighter, a man found in a burnt-out car and a father and son who died in their house.

THOUSANDS OF KOALAS FEARED DEAD IN RAGING AUSTRALIA WILDFIRES, OFFICIALS SAY

Authorities confirmed three bodies were found Wednesday at Lake Conjola on the south coast of New South Wales, bringing the death toll in the state to 15.

Wildfires burning across Australia's two most-populous states trapped residents of a seaside town in apocalyptic conditions Tuesday, Dec. 31, and were feared to have destroyed many properties and caused fatalities.

Wildfires burning across Australia's two most-populous states trapped residents of a seaside town in apocalyptic conditions Tuesday, Dec. 31, and were feared to have destroyed many properties and caused fatalities. (State Government of Victoria via AP)

Firefighting crews were able to take advantage of easing conditions on Wednesday to restore power to critical infrastructure and conduct some back burning before conditions were expected to deteriorate Saturday as high temperatures and strong winds return.

"There is every potential that the conditions on Saturday will be as bad or worse than we saw yesterday," New South Wales Rural Fire Service Deputy Commissioner Rob Rogers said.

The wildfire crisis in Australia has burned around 12.35 million acres of land, with 17 people confirmed dead and more than 1,000 homes destroyed in the past couple of months.

In this Monday, Dec. 30, 2019 photo provided by State Government of Victoria, a helicopter tackles a wildfire in East Gippsland, Victoria state, Australia.

In this Monday, Dec. 30, 2019 photo provided by State Government of Victoria, a helicopter tackles a wildfire in East Gippsland, Victoria state, Australia. (State Government of Victoria via AP)

The annual Australian fire season, which peaks during the Southern Hemisphere summer, started early after an unusually warm and dry winter. Record-breaking heat and windy conditions triggered wildfires in New South Wales and Queensland states in September.

Some communities canceled New Year’s fireworks celebrations, but Sydney’s popular display over its iconic harbor controversially went ahead in front of more than a million revelers.

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The early and devastating start to Australia’s summer wildfires has led authorities to rate this season the worst on record and reignited the debate about whether Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s conservative government has taken enough action on climate change. Australia is the world’s largest exporter of coal and liquefied natural gas, but Morrison rejected calls last month to downsize Australia’s lucrative coal industry.

Morrison won a surprise third term in May, with his government making a pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 26 percent to 28 percent by 2030.

This Monday, Dec. 30, 2019 photo provided by State Government of Victoria shows wildfires in East Gippsland, Victoria state, Australia.

This Monday, Dec. 30, 2019 photo provided by State Government of Victoria shows wildfires in East Gippsland, Victoria state, Australia. (State Government of Victoria via AP)

The leader of the minor Australian Greens party, Richard Di Natale, is now demanding a royal commission, the nation’s highest form of inquiry, on the wildfire crisis.

“If he (Morrison) refuses to do so, we will be moving for a parliamentary commission of inquiry with royal commission-like powers as soon as parliament returns,” Di Natale said in a statement.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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2020-01-01 13:31:52Z
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Australia fires: Death toll rises as blazes destroy 200 homes - BBC News

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Bushfires have killed at least eight people in south-eastern Australia since Monday, with two others remaining unaccounted for.

The latest fires, which raced towards the coast this week, have also destroyed more than 200 homes.

Seven people have been confirmed dead in New South Wales and one in Victoria.

Conditions have eased slightly, and a major road that was closed in Victoria was reopened for two hours on Wednesday to allow people to leave.

But many people remain in fire-hit areas - in one town, police dropped off 1.6 tonnes of drinking water by boat.

The seven deaths in New South Wales include:

  • Two people found in separate cars on Wednesday morning
  • A father and son who stayed behind to defend their home and farm equipment
  • A 28-year-old volunteer firefighter who was killed when wind flipped his fire engine

Family members of Mick Roberts, a 67-year-old Victorian missing since Monday, confirmed that he had been found dead in his home in Buchan, East Gippsland.

"Very sad day for us to (start) the year but we're a bloody tight family and we will never forget our mate and my beautiful Uncle Mick," his niece Leah Parson said on Facebook.

The deaths bring the total fire-related fatalities across Australia this season to at least 18, with warnings this could rise further.

Of the homes destroyed in this week's blazes, 43 were in East Gippsland, Victoria, while another 176 were in New South Wales.

Earlier on Wednesday, the New South Wales Rural Fire Service said 916 homes had been destroyed this season, with another 363 damaged, and 8,159 saved.

In Mallacoota, Victoria - where thousands fled to the beach on Tuesday - police boats arrived with 1.6 tonnes of water for residents.

They also brought food, a paramedic and medical supplies.

At the same time, police warned people in Sunbury, Victoria - around 40km (25 miles) north-west of Melbourne - to leave the area, as an emergency fire warning was in place.

Earlier, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said workers would take advantage of the milder weather on Wednesday to clear roads and restore power.

But she said temperatures were expected to rise again on Saturday.

"At the very least, weather conditions will be at least as bad as what they were yesterday," she said.

The fire service warned they had been unable to reach some people in remote areas.

"We've got reports of injuries and burn injuries to members of the public," said New South Wales rural fire commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons.

"We haven't been able to get access via roads or via aircraft - it's been socked in [runways have been closed] or too dangerous."

Media playback is unsupported on your device

In Mallacoota, many people spent the night sleeping in their cars or on deck chairs.

Victoria Emergency Commissioner Andrew Crisp said - as well as the police vessels - "a large barge" was sailing from Melbourne to the town with food, water and 30,000 litres of fuel.

In Cann River, a town around 80km (50 miles) inland from Mallacoota, residents warned that food supplies were running low.

Further north in Ulladulla, New South Wales, people were queuing outside supermarkets - while cuts to mobile networks and landlines meant people also waited to use payphones.

The military said amphibious ships were setting off from Sydney and would arrive in fire-hit coastal areas of New South Wales and Victoria by Friday.

Meanwhile, a woman from Mallacoota who took a photo that went viral has spoken about the image.

Allison Marion took the picture of her 11-year-old son, Finn, moving their family to safety in a powerboat.

"Finn drove the boat and my other son looked after the dog in the boat and [I am] very proud of both of them," she told ABC News.

When the family returned to land, as conditions eased, they went to check on their home.

"Our street somehow escaped the fire somehow," she said. "However, I feel for many people in our community who have lost their homes. It's just truly saddening."

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2020-01-01 10:46:54Z
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Twelve dead, several missing as Australia counts the cost of devastating bushfires - Reuters

SYDNEY (Reuters) - A third person was confirmed dead on Wednesday in devastating bushfires that engulfed Australia’s southeast coast this week and a fourth was missing and feared dead, as navy ships rushed to provide supplies and assist with evacuations.

Twelve people have now lost their lives in fire-related deaths across Australia since blazes broke out a few months ago, including three volunteer firefighters, after a three-year drought in large parts of the nation created tinder-dry conditions.

Fanned by soaring temperatures, columns of fire and smoke blackened entire towns on Monday and Tuesday, forcing thousands of residents and holidaymakers to seek shelter on beaches. Many stood in shallow water to escape the flames.

Bushfires have destroyed more than 4 million hectares (10 million acres) and new blazes are sparked almost daily by extremely hot and windy conditions and, most recently, dry lightning strikes created by the fires themselves.

Cooler conditions on Wednesday gave the country a moment to count the cost of the fires, although there were still more than 100 blazes in New South Wales (NSW) state alone and thousands of firefighters on the ground.

The body of a man was found in a burnt car early on Wednesday on the south coast of New South Wales after emergency workers began reaching the most damaged areas, and police said the death toll will rise.

“Sadly, we can report today that police have confirmed a further three deaths as a result of the fires on the South Coast,” NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys told reporters in Sydney.

“Police are also at Lake Conjola now, where a house has been destroyed by fire and the occupant of that home is still unaccounted for.”

NSW police did not identify the missing man but said he was 72 years old and authorities have been unable to reach his home.

Police said early assessments have found nearly 200 homes have been destroyed, though they cautioned it was an early estimate.

Large-scale livestock and animal casualties are also expected across Australia’s east coast, though Mogo Zoo - home to Australia’s largest collection of primates, along with zebras, white rhinos, lions, tigers and giraffes – was saved.

The wildlife park was threatened by an out-of-control bushfire, though zoo keepers and firefighters managed to save all 200 animals.

Smoke from the Currowan Fire is pictured from St George’s Basin south of Nowra and looking towards Sussex Inlet and Lake Conjola, Australia, December 31, 2019 in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. John Wardle via REUTERS

In Victoria state, four people remain missing, state Premier Daniel Andrews said, after a massive blaze ripped through Gippsland - a rural region about 500 km (310 miles) east of Melbourne.

About 4,000 people in the town of Mallacoota in Victoria headed to the waterfront after the main road was cut off.

Mark Tregellas, a resident of Mallacoota who spent the night on a boat ramp, said only a late shift in the wind direction sparred lives.

“The fire just continued to grow and then the black started to descend. I couldn’t see the hand in front in my face, and it then it started to glow red and we knew the fire was coming,” Tregellas told Reuters.

“Ash started to fall from the air and then the embers started to come down. At that point, people started to bring their kids and families into the water. Thankfully, the wind changed and the fire moved away.”

In Milton, a small town on the on the NSW south coast, locals queued for hours for the few remaining items left of shelves on supermarkets.

Emma Schirmer, who evacuated from her house in Batemans Bay with her three-month child on Tuesday, said the local shop was limiting sales to six items per customer, while a power outage meant shoppers could pay only with cash.

As shops run low and firefighters struggle with exhaustion, Australia’s military, including Black Hawk helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and naval vessels were being deployed.

“We’ve got choppers taking 90 firefighters out of the Mallacoota area, they can’t be removed any other way - we’re essentially doing a shift change by the air,” Andrews told reporters.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said authorities were working to restore communications with areas cut off by the fires, and she warned conditions will deteriorate again over the weekend.

“Weather conditions on Saturday will be as bad as they were” on Tuesday, Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney.

Meanwhile, Australia’s capital Canberra was blanketed in thick smoke, reaching about 20 times hazardous levels, prompting health warnings.

Slideshow (3 Images)

The smoke has also drifted to New Zealand where it has turned the daytime sky orange across the South Island.

(Corrects paragraph 4 to remove erroneous comparison to Japan, which was also in earlier updates of the series.)

Reporting by Colin Packham in Sydney; Editing by Cynthia Osterman & Kim Coghill

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2020-01-01 00:56:00Z
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Selasa, 31 Desember 2019

Thousands of Australian residents, tourists forced to flee to shore amid wildfires | TheHill - The Hill

Thousands of Australian residents and tourists are being forced to flee to its southeastern shore amid the wildfires decimating much of the country, news outlets reported Tuesday.

Evacuees faced apocalyptic scenes as they took to the beaches to avoid the flames in the states of Victoria and New South Wales after the warmest decade on record, according to The New York Times. Thousands were left in evacuation centers, and tens of thousands of others were without power.

Approximately 4,000 people escaped to the beaches into the water in Mallacoota, a family camping spot, while hundreds of families left their homes in Batemans Bay, New South Whales, on Tuesday, CNN reported.  

The death toll has risen to at least 11 after a volunteer firefighter and a father and son died in New South Whales, according to the Times. Four people are missing in Victoria, CNN reported. 

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The fires began over the weekend due to dry lightning and were intensified by high winds and hot weather. A total of 100 fires were burning in New South Whales on Tuesday, with 60 percent still needing to be contained. In Victoria, 70 new fires erupted Monday, and 20 of those are still active, according to CNN.

Victoria Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp said 200,000 hectares have already been burned across the state, reportedly calling it a "dynamic and dangerous situation." Crisp added some communities are isolated and food packs and supplies are being put together to send. 

Meteorologists expect the weather to improve in the next 24 hours but then worsen again by the end of the work. 

Sydney, which has experienced heavy smoke from the fires, still put on its annual fireworks show for New Year’s Eve, despite a Change.org petition calling for the displays cancellation.

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2019-12-31 15:15:38Z
CBMid2h0dHBzOi8vdGhlaGlsbC5jb20vcG9saWN5L2VuZXJneS1lbnZpcm9ubWVudC80NzYzMzgtdGhvdXNhbmRzLW9mLWF1c3RyYWxpYW4tcmVzaWRlbnRzLXRvdXJpc3RzLWZvcmNlZC10by1mbGVlLXRvLXNob3Jl0gF7aHR0cHM6Ly90aGVoaWxsLmNvbS9wb2xpY3kvZW5lcmd5LWVudmlyb25tZW50LzQ3NjMzOC10aG91c2FuZHMtb2YtYXVzdHJhbGlhbi1yZXNpZGVudHMtdG91cmlzdHMtZm9yY2VkLXRvLWZsZWUtdG8tc2hvcmU_YW1w

Thousands of Australian residents had to take refuge on a beach as wildfires raged - CNN

Idyllic coastal towns packed with tourists planning to ring in 2020 were cast in apocalyptic red on Tuesday, as smoke blotted out the sun.
In the town of Mallacoota, which lies on the easternmost edge of the state of Victoria and is a well-known family camping spot, around 4,000 people fled to beaches, authorities said.
"There's no way in or out," Mallacoota resident Jason Selmes told CNN after evacuating his home.
Another tourist, Ida Dempsey and her family from Melbourne, fled to their boat which was moored about 200 meters (656 feet) from the shore.
Dozens of fires continue to burn out of control in the states of Victoria and New South Wales (NSW). Thousands more people were forced to evacuate their homes along the NSW coast on Tuesday, which is dotted with small beach towns popular with holiday-makers over the Christmas season.
In Batemans Bay, NSW, hundreds of families fled their homes Tuesday under an eerie orange sky. "It was like we were in hell," vacationer Zoe Simmons told CNN. "We were all covered in ash."
Meanwhile, across Victoria, over 200,000 hectares have already been burnt in the fires, according to the state's Emergency Management Commissioner, Andrew Crisp. He warned: "It is still a dynamic and dangerous situation."
Children in face masks play at the showgrounds in the New South Wales town of Bega on Decemeber 31.
There is, however, a glimmer of hope. 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.
By Tuesday evening, some people were even returning to their homes, according to Victoria's Country Fire Authority Chief, Steve Warrington, though he added that "a number of houses" in are believed to be destroyed or damaged.
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.

Father and son among dead

The death toll continues to creep up from the fires, including a father and son in the NSW town of Cobargo on Tuesday. Four more people are unaccounted for in Victoria.
A volunteer firefighter who died on Monday, while working in the Green Valley, was named on Tuesday as 28-year-old Samuel McPaul. He leaves behind his wife, who is pregnant with their first child, after the truck he was in rolled in high winds, according to the state's Rural Fire Service.
Volunteer firefighter Samuel McPaul pictured with his wife.
Earlier in December, two other NSW volunteer firefighters died after their vehicle hit a tree during firefighting operations.
The country relies heavily on its volunteer firefighters, who in some cases have been putting in 16-hour days to help tackle the blazes.
Earlier this week Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who cut short a family holiday in Hawaii to deal with the fire crisis, announced the government would be authorizing payments of up to $6,000 (US$4,200) for volunteer fire fighters "where they have been called out for extended periods of service."

There is a nationwide fire crisis

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 NSW there are more than 100 fires burning on Tuesday, of which 60 are yet to be contained.
Many of the fires were started on Sunday by dry lightning, and rapidly spread due to strong winds and hot, dry weather.
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.
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.

Fireworks will go ahead

For weeks, Sydney has been shrouded in smoke from bushfires, leading to calls to cancel the city's famed New Year's eve fireworks.
Sydney's famous New Year's Eve fireworks display to go ahead amid bushfire threat
Despite more than a quarter of a million people signing an online petition calling for the annual display to be scrapped, the event will go ahead.
The Change.org petition said the funds that would normally be spent on the dazzling firework display should be redistributed towards the firefighting efforts.
But Sydney's Lord Mayor Clover Moore said: "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."

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2019-12-31 14:59:00Z
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Thousands had to take refuge on a beach as Australia wildfires raged - CNN

Idyllic coastal towns packed with tourists planning to ring in 2020 were cast in apocalyptic red on Tuesday, as smoke blotted out the sun.
In the town of Mallacoota, which lies on the easternmost edge of the state of Victoria and is a well-known family camping spot, around 4,000 people fled to beaches, authorities said.
"There's no way in or out," Mallacoota resident Jason Selmes told CNN after evacuating his home.
Another tourist, Ida Dempsey and her family from Melbourne, fled to their boat which was moored about 200 meters (656 feet) from the shore.
Dozens of fires continue to burn out of control in the states of Victoria and New South Wales (NSW). Thousands more people were forced to evacuate their homes along the NSW coast on Tuesday, which is dotted with small beach towns popular with holiday-makers over the Christmas season.
In Batemans Bay, NSW, hundreds of families fled their homes Tuesday under an eerie orange sky. "It was like we were in hell," vacationer Zoe Simmons told CNN. "We were all covered in ash."
Meanwhile, across Victoria, over 200,000 hectares have already been burnt in the fires, according to the state's Emergency Management Commissioner, Andrew Crisp. He warned: "It is still a dynamic and dangerous situation."
Children in face masks play at the showgrounds in the New South Wales town of Bega on Decemeber 31.
There is, however, a glimmer of hope. 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.
By Tuesday evening, some people were even returning to their homes, according to Victoria's Country Fire Authority Chief, Steve Warrington, though he added that "a number of houses" in are believed to be destroyed or damaged.
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.

Father and son among dead

The death toll continues to creep up from the fires, including a father and son in the NSW town of Cobargo on Tuesday. Four more people are unaccounted for in Victoria.
A volunteer firefighter who died on Monday, while working in the Green Valley, was named on Tuesday as 28-year-old Samuel McPaul. He leaves behind his wife, who is pregnant with their first child, after the truck he was in rolled in high winds, according to the state's Rural Fire Service.
Volunteer firefighter Samuel McPaul pictured with his wife.
Earlier in December, two other NSW volunteer firefighters died after their vehicle hit a tree during firefighting operations.
The country relies heavily on its volunteer firefighters, who in some cases have been putting in 16-hour days to help tackle the blazes.
Earlier this week Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who cut short a family holiday in Hawaii to deal with the fire crisis, announced the government would be authorizing payments of up to $6,000 (US$4,200) for volunteer fire fighters "where they have been called out for extended periods of service."

There is a nationwide fire crisis

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 NSW there are more than 100 fires burning on Tuesday, of which 60 are yet to be contained.
Many of the fires were started on Sunday by dry lightning, and rapidly spread due to strong winds and hot, dry weather.
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.
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.

Fireworks will go ahead

For weeks, Sydney has been shrouded in smoke from bushfires, leading to calls to cancel the city's famed New Year's eve fireworks.
Sydney's famous New Year's Eve fireworks display to go ahead amid bushfire threat
Despite more than a quarter of a million people signing an online petition calling for the annual display to be scrapped, the event will go ahead.
The Change.org petition said the funds that would normally be spent on the dazzling firework display should be redistributed towards the firefighting efforts.
But Sydney's Lord Mayor Clover Moore said: "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."

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2019-12-31 11:52:00Z
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Thousands flee to beaches as fires encircle Australian towns - msnNOW

Slideshow by photo services

Thousands of holidaymakers and locals were forced to flee to beaches in fire-ravaged southeast Australia Tuesday, as deadly blazes ripped through popular tourist areas and cut off several towns.

In fire-encircled seaside communities along a 200-kilometre (135-mile) strip of coast, terrified people -- wrapped in blankets and make-shift facemasks -- sought refuge near the water.

Some with boats even took to the sea in near-darkness, hoping to find safety, as one of the worst days yet in Australia's months-long bushfire crisis prompted the military to be deployed.

In a brutal 24 hours, three people have died, five more are unaccounted for, and scores of properties were feared destroyed as flames reached well-populated towns like Batemans Bay, normally bursting with visitors during Australia's summer holidays.

"We've got literally hundreds, thousands of people up and down the coast, taking refuge on the beaches" and in surf clubs, said Shane Fitzsimmons, commissioner of the New South Wales Rural Fire Service.

"The roads are closed going west. The roads are closed going south. The roads are closed going north," he said, but added that a cool front had swept across the coast, "considerably" moderating many fires.

Still some four thousand people were trapped on the foreshore in the town of Mallacoota, where towering columns of smoke turned day to night and nearby fires caused waves of "ember attacks".

Victoria authorities said later Tuesday that Mallacoota and a nearby town remained cut off, but the life-threatening fire front had finally passed.

"I understand there was a public cheer down at the jetty when that was announced," said Steve Warrington of the Country Fire Authority, echoing a palpable sense of relief at the slightest good news.

In some places Tuesday's blazes were so intense, the smoke so thick and the fire-provoked dry lightning storms so severe that aerial reconnaissance and waterbombing had to be halted.

Australia's minister of defence said Linda Reynolds said three helicopters, one aircraft and two naval ships would be sent to the region.

The military is expected to conduct damage assessments and potentially provide those displaced with food, shelter and electricity and even evacuation.

More back-up has also been requested from firefighters in Canada and the United States.

Authorities said it likely that many of those trapped on the beaches would be forced to spend the night there.

The picture was barely better in inland rural communities, where countless more people were displaced and forced into make-shift camps.

Hundreds of "anxious and stressed and traumatised" people were gathered at Bega's showgrounds, said 44-year-old Beck Walker, who had been holidaying with her husband and two young sons when they heard sirens warning them to evacuate at around 4.30 am.

"We had to pack up and leave straight away," she told AFP. "It was pretty scary because the sky was red... By 7.30 am we thought it was still night  because the sky had turned black." 

- 'Ring of fire' -

Australia's unprecedented bushfires have been burning for months, but the latest in a series of heatwaves and high winds have wrought new devastation.

The crisis has also hit cities like Sydney and Melbourne, home to several million people.

On Monday, around 100,000 people had been urged to flee five Melbourne suburbs as the blaze bore down on homes just 16 kilometres (10 miles) from the centre of Australia's second-biggest city. 

Sydney was again shrouded in toxic bushfire haze Tuesday. City officials said Sydney's New Year's Eve fireworks would go ahead, but a similar event has been cancelled in Canberra and several regional towns. 

A Rural Fire Service spokesman said a 28-year-old volunteer firefighter -- whose wife was due to give birth in May -- died Monday in New South Wales when a "fire tornado" picked up an eight-tonne truck "and flipped it over".

A 63-year-old man and his 29-year-old son died in the devastated town of Cobargo in the latest spasm of destruction Tuesday.

Ten others, including two volunteer firefighters, have been killed so far this fire season.

The blazes have destroyed more than 1,000 homes and scorched well over three million hectares (7.4 million acres) -- an area bigger than Belgium.

The crisis has focused attention on climate change -- which scientists say is creating a longer and more intense bushfire season -- and sparked street protests.

While conservative Prime Minister Scott Morrison belatedly acknowledged a link between the fires and climate change, he has continued his staunch support of Australia's lucrative coal mining industry or pay for exhausted volunteer firefighters.

Jenifer James, 64, said she had spent hours Tuesday working to protect her Bermagui home in semi-darkness and surrounded by a "ring of fire".

She said the political response to the disaster had been "very poor" and more needed to be done to support volunteer firefighters. "They are so bloody tired," she told AFP.

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2019-12-31 09:48:00Z
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