Aussie wildfires claim 1 man and damage homes
Source: Agencies |
January 19, 2013, Saturday
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WILDFIRES raged across southern Australia yesterday, killing one man and destroying several homes as sweltering temperatures brought fresh misery for firefighters battling dozens of blazes amid a heat wave.
The man's body was discovered in a burned-out car near the small town of Seaton, about 200 kilometers east of Melbourne in Victoria state, police said.
The man was the first person killed in the hundreds of wildfires that have been raging across the continent since the Australian summer began.
Wildfires are common in Australia in the summer, although record-high temperatures and dry conditions have added to the ferocity of some blazes.
Several exhausted firefighters in the country's most populous state of New South Wales collapsed from the heat yesterday, with temperatures soaring past 40 degrees Celsius in many areas. Sydney hit a record 45.8 Celsius, beating the previous high of 45.3 Celsius set in 1939. The city's heat was temporary, though, quickly plunging into the 30s within an hour.
Some relief was in sight, with cooler temperatures and rain predicted across much of the country's southeast for the weekend. Still, many of the fires may continue burning for weeks.
"It's a very dangerous environment we're experiencing today," Victoria Country Fire Authority operations manager Bill Johnstone said.
The man's body was discovered in a burned-out car near the small town of Seaton, about 200 kilometers east of Melbourne in Victoria state, police said.
The man was the first person killed in the hundreds of wildfires that have been raging across the continent since the Australian summer began.
Wildfires are common in Australia in the summer, although record-high temperatures and dry conditions have added to the ferocity of some blazes.
Several exhausted firefighters in the country's most populous state of New South Wales collapsed from the heat yesterday, with temperatures soaring past 40 degrees Celsius in many areas. Sydney hit a record 45.8 Celsius, beating the previous high of 45.3 Celsius set in 1939. The city's heat was temporary, though, quickly plunging into the 30s within an hour.
Some relief was in sight, with cooler temperatures and rain predicted across much of the country's southeast for the weekend. Still, many of the fires may continue burning for weeks.
"It's a very dangerous environment we're experiencing today," Victoria Country Fire Authority operations manager Bill Johnstone said.
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