HOMES LOST AS FIRES RAGE ACROSS SCORCHED TASSIE
A SECOND home is believed to have been lost in Tasmania as residents across the state faced the threat of ember attack from fires burning kilometres away.
Authorities yesterday said they were facing extreme fire risk with dry air and temperatures reaching into the mid-30s, while 56 blazes continued across the island.
Tasmania Fire Service’s Andrew McGuinness urged people to remain aware of what’s going on.
“Open the curtains every now and then and go outside and experience what is going on around them,” he said. “Really good situational awareness today is really important. It’s too late when the fire is on your back doorstep.”
Mr McGuinness said investigators were looking into reports a home had been lost. It would be the second property loss, following one at central Miena earlier in the week.
Since late December some 71,000ha of land has been burnt and there is more than 900km of fire edge, with 500 firefighters on the ground.
Meantime, an out-of-control fire raging through Victoria’s East Gippsland region prompted an evacuation alert for some residents yesterday.