A thousand firefighters - supported by more than 50 aircraft - have been fighting the fires since they broke out a few days ago in Victoria, Australia (European)
The scope of forest fires has expanded in the state of Victoria, southeastern Australia, and more than 15 new fires broke out in the state on Sunday, according to the state emergency authority, amid warnings of the worst.
About a thousand firefighters - supported by more than 50 aircraft - have been fighting the fires since they broke out.
Authorities have warned that rising temperatures could fuel more forest fires later this week.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged - on Sunday - to provide "all necessary support" to help the state of Victoria fight the forest fires that have been ongoing for days and have destroyed a number of homes.
"We will provide any support the state requests, and what is happening reminds us of the need to be vigilant to continue working and dealing with the threat posed by climate change," Albanese told reporters in Frankston, Victoria.
Victoria state Premier Jacinta Allan told reporters that there were "concerns about the weather this week, especially from Wednesday to Thursday," as temperatures were expected to rise sharply, which could further fuel the fires.
The forest fires led to the death of livestock, the destruction of property, and forced more than two thousand people to leave western towns and head to the city of Ballarat, 95 kilometers west of Melbourne, the state capital.
It is noteworthy that Australia is suffering from the “El Nino” climate phenomenon, which is usually associated with forest fires, hurricanes and drought.
Source: Agencies