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Australians call it "mega fire": after three months of forest fires in different regions, several fires have now merged into a single, uncontrollable blaze that is raging an hour's drive from Sydney.
" Sydney suffocates while the state burns, " headlines Sydney Morning Herald , Friday, December 6. For several days now, the skyscrapers of the city are wrapped in a cloud yellowish, toxic.
North of the capital of New South Wales, firefighters say they are helpless against the wall of flames they face. Even though in the meantime reinforcements have arrived from the United States and Canada.
Two million hectares gone up in smoke
Several forest fires have merged to form one gigantic fire. This "mega fire" burns over 300,000 hectares, over 60km in length. The only option left is to evacuate the inhabitants before they get trapped by the flames.
For three months now, strong winds, heatwaves and dry vegetation have been fanning the flames across several parts of Australia.
Researchers believe that global warming is helping to create even more favorable conditions for fires. If this year there are fewer casualties, never have such large areas been devastated. Two million hectares have already gone up in smoke, the equivalent of Switzerland.
NSW fires LIVE updates: RFS continues to fight blazes https://t.co/G44wfIDvo4
The Sydney Morning Herald (@smh) December 6, 2019