At least two people died, dozens more were injured and more than 150 homes were destroyed in an unprecedented number of bushfires that continued raging in eastern Australia on Saturday. The body of a charred man was found in a car and a woman died, despite efforts by doctors to save her for several hours, New South Wales State Relief Services said. . Several people are also missing and 30 others were injured, mostly firefighters fighting the hundred fires in progress.
Given their magnitude, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that soldiers could lend a hand to the 1,300 firefighters present on site. "Unfortunately, we lost two Australians and I'm afraid we'll lose more before the end of the day," said Morrison, as hundreds of civilians also volunteered to help their hard-hit neighbors. The prime minister, whose government has downplayed the threat of climate change, has evaded questions about its effect. "My only thoughts today are with those who lost their lives and their families ... (...) Australia has been fighting ferocious fires for as long as Australia is a nation, and well before. will continue to do so. "
"We never had so many fires at the same time"
For her part, New South Wales' Prime Minister Gladys Berejiklian warned of the forecast for the coming week, "which would mean we did not get through the worst," she said. she says. Overwhelmed firefighters acknowledged that they were struggling to cope with the most dangerous fires in rural Queensland (north-east) and New South Wales (south-east) around Brisbane. in Sydney. Tens were still out of control along a 1,000-kilometer stretch of land along the Pacific coast.
At least 150 homes and schools were destroyed. The authorities were also forced to evacuate detention centers and old people's homes. "We have never had so many fires at the same time and with such a high level of urgency," Shane Fitzsimmons, head of these services, told ABC Public Television. "We are in unknown territory," he continued, recognizing that it was very difficult to cope with so many fires at a time.
The effects of climate change
Such fires occur every year on the huge island-continent during the spring and summer in Australia. But this year, they have been extremely numerous and early. The first occurred in September from northern New South Wales to tropical Queensland. If this start of the season is dramatic, scientists are worried for the next few months. Climate change and adverse weather patterns have resulted in exceptional drought, low humidity, and strong winds that contribute to bush fires.