Australia declares a state of disaster due to large-scale fires in Victoria

The state of Victoria in southeastern Australia declared a state of disaster on 10 January due to large-scale wildfires that destroyed homes, infrastructure and large areas of bushland. The decision was made amid extreme heat, with temperatures in some areas exceeding 40 degrees Celsius. It is reported by The Public with reference to DW.

According to emergency services, since the beginning of the week, the fire has covered more than 300,000 hectares of territory. As of Saturday, at least 10 large fires continued to burn in the state. Sparsely populated rural areas are the most affected. One of the largest blazes has broken out near the town of Longwood, about 112 kilometres north of Melbourne, where it has scorched up to 150,000 hectares of forest and farmland

Emergency Services Commissioner Tim Wiebusch said at least 130 structures, including homes, outbuildings and farm buildings, have been destroyed across the state. About 38,000 homes and businesses have been left without power due to damage to power grids. Thousands of firefighters from different regions of the country have been deployed to fight the fire

State Governor Jacinta Allan stressed that the declaration of a disaster regime gives rescuers additional powers, including the ability to force evacuations. She urged residents not to ignore the warnings of the services and to leave the dangerous areas immediately. According to her, three people previously reported missing in the fire zone have been contacted

According to emergency services, active fires may remain for several more days or even weeks. There is also a risk of new fires starting due to lightning caused by high temperatures and strong upward air currents

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the country was facing extremely dangerous conditions, particularly in Victoria, where large areas have been declared a disaster zone. He expressed support for the people of the regions affected by the disaster

The current fires are already being called the most serious for Victoria since the so-called Black Summer in 2019-2020, when an area of about 240 thousand square kilometres burned in Australia and 33 people died. Scientists say that since 1910, the average temperature on the continent has risen by about 1.5 degrees, which increases the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, including wildfires

Photo:  DW.