In Australia, the fires are always more impressive and uncontrollable. The city of Melbourne, located in the south-east of the country, is now on alert. Authorities have urged residents to move away from the fire that has already burned 40 hectares of grassland, while around 100,000 people were asked to flee five suburbs of Australia's second largest city on Monday evening, December 30.
In Bundoora, a town 16 km north of Melbourne and home to two major university campuses, the spread of fire towards homes has been temporarily stopped but is still not under control, said Victoria Emergency, an emergency service of this southeastern state.
A volunteer firefighter also died and two others were burned while intervening in the state of New South Wales, according to the firemen. He is the third volunteer firefighter killed since September.
In total, eleven people have died since the start of the fires which destroyed more than a thousand houses and more than three million hectares, an area larger than Belgium.
Worsening weather conditions
A heat wave swept across the immense island continent on Monday, fueling these particularly early and devastating fires this year. Weather conditions worsened on Friday with rising temperatures and strong winds across the territory.
Temperatures in Western Australia have reached 47 degrees. They exceeded 40 degrees in all regions, especially on the island of Tasmania, in the south, with a usually temperate climate.
The neighboring state of South Australia further west also experiences "catastrophic" weather conditions. According to a state fire chief, Brenton Eden, lightning has already started several fires, notably on Kangaroo Island.
Weather conditions are expected to deteriorate further over the next two days in New South Wales, the hardest hit state with around 100 fires still active Monday morning, including more than 40 uncontrolled.
Fireworks canceled in Melbourne but maintained in Sydney
Australia is used to forest fires during the southern summer but this year they were particularly early and violent. Researchers explain their severity by a combination of factors, including very low precipitation, record temperatures and strong winds. Many believe that global warming is contributing to these conditions.
Conservative Prime Minister Scott Morrison belatedly admitted a link between these fires and climate change but refused to reverse his policy favorable to the coal mining industry.
The capital Canberra has canceled New Years fireworks due to a total ban on all fireworks throughout the Australian Capital Territory. A petition gathering 270,000 signatures asked for the cancellation of the famous Sydney New Year's fireworks, but the authorities maintained it.
With AFP
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