Bushfires in Australia

Bushfiresin Southern Australia

23 January 2005


Soaring temperatures and strong northwesterly winds have spelt disaster in Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia.Last night’s cool change was expected to bring little relief, with more lightning expected and minimal rainforecast.

Victoria
In the latest development in Victoria, more than a dozen bushfires are burning across thestate, which were fought by more than 1500 fire personnel throughout the night. Several regional towns in Victoria remain under threat from large bushfires burning across thestate. The Country Fire Authority (CFA) says aerial reports suggest two homes have been lost at Anakie near Geelong in thesouth-west. The Moondarra fire in Gippsland is approaching the towns of Yallourn North andTyers. Burning embers are also expected to reach Willaura in the state’s west.

There were four fires causing “major concerns”,, the worst being the Grampians fire and the Mt Lubra fire which was burning in inaccessible territory late yesterday andovernight. The bushfire burning in the Grampians region has razed more than 100,000hectares. The fire burning in Gippsland has razed more than 10,000 hectares. It is burning towards the towns ofMoondarra, Erica, Tyers and Rawson.
A fire burning north of Yea is small but it is considered to have “significant potential”.

The hot weather which was fanning the fires yesterday and overnight was expected to ease early thisweek.

Western Australia
More than 100 firefighters and six water bombers are working to contain a large bush fire in Western Australia’ssouth-west. The fire has moved to within 25 kilometres from the town of Dwellingup, burning through more than 900 hectares ofbush. Emergency crews say it appears the fire was deliberately lit in a mature bluegumplantation.

South Australia
In SA, the biggest blaze, at Robertstown in SA’s mid-north, has burnt more than 1000 hectares and threatenedhomes. The SA fires come as Adelaide recorded its hottest temperatures in more than 66years, with four consecutive days above 40°C.

Tasmania
In Tasmania, dropping temperatures and some patchy rain have brought relief to firefighters who are monitoring 22 blazes across thestate, mostly in the south.


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