Dozens of bushfires continued to burn across Australia’s Victoria state on Sunday, with authorities reporting significant damage, including the destruction of at least one home.
The fires, fueled by strong winds and soaring temperatures, were sparked on Saturday, and by Sunday, authorities had mobilized hundreds of firefighters to battle the blazes.
As of Sunday, two fires in Victoria's western and southern regions were deemed the most "challenging," fire authorities reported. These fires, which have already scorched more than 1,900 hectares, are not yet under control and are expected to burn for "quite some time."
Victorian Emergency Management Commissioner Rick Nugent said that the fires had caused "stock and agricultural losses" in the affected areas. Authorities are continuing to assess the full extent of the damage throughout the day.
At least one home was destroyed in the western part of the state, and there are fears that more homes may have been lost in the rapidly spreading fires. In addition to the homes lost, authorities also reported the evacuation of several hundred residents, including 10 hikers who were rescued from a national park.
No deaths were reported on Sunday, but authorities have urged evacuated residents not to return to their homes until it is deemed safe to do so. Strong winds are expected to sweep across the state in the afternoon, which could further exacerbate the fire danger, before a cold front moves in later.
The ongoing fires come after several years of wet weather, with bushfire risk in Australia remaining high since the catastrophic 2019-2020 bushfire season. That year, known as "Black Summer," saw fires devastate much of the country's eastern seaboard, killing millions of animals and leaving cities blanketed in hazardous smoke.
A 2020 study by Oxford University highlighted that the risk of intense fire weather in Australia has increased by 30 percent since 1900, a trend largely attributed to climate change.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely as firefighters battle to bring the current blazes under control.
(Source: AFP)
BD-Pratidin English/Mazdud
