Hundreds evacuated as wildfire danger across Australia grows
● Hot weather and strong winds expected to increase threat
One of the largest evacuations in Australia’s history began yesterday, as hot weather and strong winds were forecast to worsen wildfires raging across the country.
Warnings of extreme danger predicted today prompted mass evacuations, as more than 200 fires were burning.
People fled and firefighters escorted convoys of evacuees as fires threatened to close roads. Navy ships were called in to save hundreds of people stranded on beaches.
The early and devastating start to Australia’s summer wildfires has made this season the worst on record. About 5 million hectares of land have burned, at least 19 people have been killed and more than 1,400 homes have been destroyed.
Victoria premier Daniel
Andrews declared a disaster across much of the eastern part of the state, allowing the government to order evacuations in an area with as many as 140,000 permanent residents and tens of thousands more holidaymakers.
“If you can leave, you must leave,” Andrews said.
In South Australia state, fire officials said the weather was cause for concern because fires were still burning or smouldering.
Country Fire Service chief officer Mark Jones said: “The ignition sources are already there. There are millions of sparks out there ready to go if they break containment lines.”
This week, at least 448 homes have been destroyed on the New South Wales southern coast and dozens were burned in Victoria. Ten deaths have been confirmed in the two states this week and Victoria authorities also say 28 people are missing. Fires are also burning in Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania.
The navy evacuated hundreds from Mallacoota, a coastal town in Victoria cut off for days by wildfires that forced as many as 4,000 residents and tourists to shelter on beaches. Landing craft ferried people to the HMAS Choules offshore.
Evacuees described smoke and embers flying everywhere when the fires were at their worst.
Choules Commander Scott Houlihan said 963 people had signed up for evacuation by sea and more had been airlifted to safety.
In New South Wales, a state of emergency and a fire ban were in place. State Rural Fire Service deputy commissioner Rob Rogers urged people to not wait to leave, noting four people in the state died in their cars as they made late attempts to flee.
“People have been dealing with this for months. But we need people to stay focused. Tomorrow is not the day to drop your guard. If you’re in those areas where we put those maps out, do not be there.”
Mr Rogers later said that anyone who chose not to leave must take responsibility for their own safety.
“We are giving them information and being honest about the risk, but if people choose to stay that is on them,” he said.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he was inclined to cancel a trip to India later this month. In December, he cut short a holiday in Hawaii after public anger at his absence.
Mr Morrison abandoned a visit to Cobargo in New South Wales on Thursday when locals berated him, made obscene gestures and called him an “idiot” and worse, criticising him for the lack of equipment to deal with the fires in town.
In an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation yesterday, Mr Morrison was defensive about his handling of the crisis. He denied having ignored warnings from fire chiefs that Australia was heading into a catastrophic fire season.
“I listen to the fire chiefs that are in their jobs now. They provided those exact same warnings and prepared our services to deal with the situation.”