Australia
“Seven meter high flames”: bushfires rage in Queensland
Authorities are warning that the Australian spring and summer could be the most intense bushfire season since the devastating “Black Summer” of 2019-2020. photo
© Queensland Fire And Emergency Se/Queensland Fire and Emergency Services via AAP/dpa
The Australian authorities have long been warning of a violent bushfire season. Fires are now raging in Queensland. The request to the residents: “Get to safety immediately!”
A resident told 9News that his entire house was destroyed by the fire. “The flames were seven meters high. That’s when I knew I was now homeless.” Emergency shelters have been set up nearby for those affected, Sky News Australia reported. A bush fire was also raging in the town of Millmerran further south, but it is now almost under control, said fire department spokesman Wayne Waltisbuhl. Several houses there were also destroyed.
Warning of severe bushfire season
Meanwhile, the weather conditions remain extremely dangerous: “We are experiencing high temperatures and very low humidity, which makes fire behavior quite unpredictable at the moment,” explained Waltisbuhl. Authorities announced a complete ban on outdoor open fires in more than 30 regions until Saturday.
Last week, a severe bushfire destroyed thousands of hectares of land in the neighboring state of New South Wales. A man died trying to protect his farm from the flames. High temperatures and strong winds repeatedly fanned the flames northeast of Sydney.
Authorities had already warned weeks ago that the Australian spring and summer could be the most violent bushfire season since the devastating “Black Summer” of 2019-2020. At that time, weeks of bushfires devastated more than twelve million hectares of land, killing or driving away countless animals.