VICTORIA, Australia: Just two days into the official bushfire season in Australia, the country is already grappling with a surge in bushfires, driven by soaring temperatures and increasing winds.
Hundreds of firefighters battle fires around Australia as ‘Fire season has come and it's early.’#bushfires #bushfiresaustralia #nswfire #nsw #victoria #tasmania #flindersisland #auspol #blacksummer #summer #heatwave pic.twitter.com/eg5dqlwVt6
— Empact News (@EmpactNews) October 3, 2023
Three uncontrolled bushfires have swept through the Victoria region, with one located in Gippsland experiencing a threefold expansion overnight. The Rural Fire Service (RFS) has confirmed that these fires have burned approximately 17,000 hectares of land, resulting in the loss of at least one home. Residents were advised that it was too late to evacuate and were urged to seek immediate shelter.
Rob Saunders, who tragically lost his family home, described how the fire seemingly “came out of nowhere.” Local residents woke up to the smell of smoke and had to act quickly to evacuate their homes before the flames consumed their properties.
The situation in the region was expected to transition from one extreme to another. Authorities issued a severe weather warning, predicting up to 150mm of rain within 24 hours, which could lead to flash flooding.
In New South Wales (NSW), as of noon today, there were 98 fires burning across the state, with at least 18 of them still uncontained. Approximately 1,000 firefighters were deployed, but the NSW Rural Fire Service acknowledged that the challenging conditions had made containment difficult.
Fire Commissioner Rob Rogers explained, “We’ve got some really bad weather coming today, with temperatures in the mid-30s and strong northwesterly winds across a large part of the state. Firefighters have been dealing with hundreds of fires every day, and while most are brought under control, unfortunately, some remain difficult to contain due to their location and the challenging conditions.”
In NSW, Penrith suburb registered the highest temperature at 37°C, closely followed by Liverpool, Camden, and Richmond, all reaching 36°C.
The early escalation of bushfires highlights the ongoing challenges that Australia faces in managing these natural disasters and underscores the importance of preparedness and firefighting efforts as the country enters its official bushfire season.
