Massive grass fire escalates in Australia

By Wednesday, the widespread fire had spread over more than 700 hectares of land, the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper reported, citing authorities. The fire service tried to protect houses in the region from the flames. Local residents have been urged to heed warnings and prepare for a possible escape.

About 350 emergency services fought the fire in the impassable terrain, including from the air with a dozen fire-fighting aircraft and helicopters. Meanwhile, the weather did not cooperate with the fire brigade: meteorologists predicted a heat wave for the state of Victoria that would last at least three days.

Devastating wildfires could threaten again this year

Many citizens were reminded of the catastrophic bushfires in Victoria in February 2009, which also raged in Flowerdale. The so-called Black Saturday bushfires are considered Australia’s worst bushfires. There were 173 confirmed fatalities, 3500 buildings were destroyed.

Experts warned Australia could be hit again by devastating bushfires this year after three extremely wet years. Grass, in particular, but other plants also grew very strongly during this time, the media quoted former New South Wales fire chief Greg Mullins as saying. When the weather turns hot, there is a risk of particularly serious fires.

“When we see days like 2019 and 2020 – with strong westerly winds, very high temperatures around 40 degrees and relatively low humidity – grass fires can grow out of control and turn into something we’ve never seen before,” Mullins warned.

(SDA)

Source: Blick