Flames continue to ravage southeastern Australia. Some fires have become uncontrollable, forcing thousands of tourists to leave the area while the weather is expected to continue to deteriorate on Saturday, with a new heat peak which is likely to favor the fires.
The evacuation of the no-tourist area will be "the largest ever in the region," said New South Wales Transport Minister Andrew Constance on ABC. Firefighters in New South Wales asked tourists Thursday morning to leave the scene in a coastal area of 200 kilometers long, from the picturesque town of Batemans Bay (about 300 km south of Sydney) to the south and the 'State of Victoria. They must leave before Saturday, a dark day expected on the fire front with sustained gusts of wind and temperatures above 40 ° C. Favorable conditions to stir up the countless fires in progress.
A line of cars to leave the area
A long line of cars spanned the highway leading to Sydney on Thursday. A driver told AFP that it took more than three hours to travel just 50 kilometers. State director of the fire department, Rob Rogers, added that firefighters were unable to put out or even control the fires in progress.
"The message is that there are so many fires in this area that we are unable to contain them," he told ABC. "We just have to make sure there is no one left on their way." John Steele, 73, who lives near Merimbula, on the south coast, told AFP that some "panicked" because of calls to evacuate: "There is so much false information on Facebook and the Internet." He describes the situation of the past few days as "chaotic" when the supply of fresh produce and gas is almost depleted.
An army ship mobilized
The authorities have not yet been able to reach all the inhabitants of the most isolated rural areas. More than 400 homes have been destroyed in the past few days, a number that is expected to increase as firefighters reach the most remote hamlets, to see the extent of the devastation. Military ships and planes have been deployed, along with emergency personnel, to deliver humanitarian aid and assess the damage in the most remote areas.
This day could even be worse than Tuesday, the deadliest since the start of the crisis. Many tourists spent two isolated nights in areas deprived of electricity and communications, with scarce food supplies. However, the authorities have managed to secure some roads to allow them to leave.
A naval ship arrived Thursday morning in the seaside town of Mallacoota, where people took refuge for hours on the beach to escape the flames that reached the city. Chris Stephenson, assistant commissioner for Victoria State Emergency Services, said some vulnerable people have already been rescued and that 500 others will be evacuated in the first phase of this long operation.
Eighteen dead and 1,300 houses destroyed
"Today, things should start to move for tourists from Mallacoota and locals who do not wish to stay there," he said. "Given the number of people (...) it will take days, if not weeks".
At least 18 people have died since the start of the fire season in September. This human toll could further increase, the authorities of the State of Victoria said Thursday that 17 people were missing throughout its territory. Since the start of the fire season, more than 1,300 houses have been reduced to ashes and 5.5 million hectares have gone up in smoke, an area larger than a country like Denmark or the Netherlands.
This unprecedented crisis has sparked demonstrations calling on the government to take immediate action against global warming, which scientists say is behind these fires that are earlier, longer and more violent than ever.
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