Fire brigade hopes for rain: devastating bushfires in eastern Australia

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“It was a truly shocking day for firefighters and residents on both sides of the border,” New South Wales fire chief Rob Rogers told Sky News on Wednesday, referring to his state and neighboring Queensland state.

Rain forecast for the weekend

Aerial footage showed people fleeing in cars as a fire front moved towards the small town of Wallangarra in Queensland state on Tuesday evening (local time). Some houses were destroyed by the flames, but firefighters were able to prevent the fire from spreading further. In the New South Wales town of Tenterfield, firefighters received reinforcements from Sydney to battle a ring of seven dangerous bushfires.

Heavy equipment was also deployed in the fire areas to prevent the flames from spreading further through trenches. According to Mike Wassing of the Queensland Fire Service, weather conditions improved on Wednesday. The fact that the hot and dry wind subsides means “relaxation and relief” for some places.

In other fire areas, however, the situation is “still very volatile and unstable,” Wassing told Australian broadcaster ABC. Rain forecasts for next weekend could ease the situation.

Hot summer expected

According to Australian authorities, the summer that has started in Australia is likely to be exceptionally hot due to the El Niño weather phenomenon, which will result in a corresponding number of serious forest fires. Already in 2019/2020, numerous out-of-control fires caused enormous damage in Australia and meant the death of millions of animals. According to climate researchers, extreme weather events such as droughts and forest fires are increasing in intensity and frequency due to increasing global warming.

(AFP)

Source: Blick