(CLO) On December 22, the Victorian state government in Australia announced that a large bushfire was out of control in the Grampians National Park area, about 241 km west of Melbourne.
This fire has forced hundreds of residents to evacuate urgently and is expected to continue raging for several more days.
Flames in the Orroral Valley, seen from Tuggeranong in southern Canberra, during the 2020 "Black Summer" bushfires in Australia. Photo: Nick-D / CC BY-SA 4.0
According to Victoria's emergency services, the "Escape Immediately" order – the highest alert level – remains in place for areas affected by the fire, including the town of Halls Gap, with a population of approximately 495. The fire has now spread across an area of 34,000 hectares.
Garry Cook, Deputy Director of the National Fire Protection Agency (CFA), told ABC: "There is still a significant amount of unburned fuel in the Grampians, which poses a major challenge to fire control in the coming days."
The fire is believed to have originated from a lightning strike on December 19th. From there, it quickly spread, threatening many rural communities and natural ecosystems within the national park. Hundreds of firefighters were mobilized, using more than 100 fire trucks and 25 aircraft to control the blaze.
Australian authorities have warned that there is a high risk of bushfires this summer. Experts are also concerned that hot, dry weather and strong winds will make fire control more difficult.
During the 2019-2020 "Black Summer" bushfire season, Australia witnessed an unprecedented disaster as wildfires devastated an area the size of Türkiye, killing 33 people and leaving thousands homeless.
Hong Hanh (according to Reuters, The Guardian)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/chay-rung-vuot-kiem-soat-o-uc-hang-tram-nguoi-phai-so-tan-khan-cap-post326881.html
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