East Australia Bushfires Prompt Urgent Evacuation Orders for Residents

Bushfires in Victoria are causing significant concern as firefighters issue urgent warnings to residents in eastern Australia. EWN reports that these warnings advise people to evacuate immediately or take shelter if leaving is no longer safe.

Around 650 firefighters are battling these fires. The blaze has already consumed approximately 17,000 hectares. Country Fire Authority chief officer Jason Heffernan has said the situation is “very challenging,” exacerbated by warm, gusty winds.

Wind gusts are reaching up to 80 kilometres per hour in East Gippsland, about 250 kilometres east of Melbourne.

Emergency services have issued evacuation orders for nine rural neighbourhoods. Seven more areas have been advised to take shelter immediately if they haven’t already evacuated because it is now considered too dangerous to leave.

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Firefighters are grappling with spot fires that have ignited well ahead of the main firefront, making containment efforts all the more challenging. These fires have affected private properties and spread through pine plantations. The situation remains highly critical, and the next few hours will be particularly demanding for the firefighting teams on the ground.

There is a ray of hope on the horizon, as rain is anticipated later in the afternoon, which could assist in dampening the flames.

In a separate incident, a bushfire on Flinders Island in Tasmania is described as “out of control.” However, recent rainfall has slowed its progress.

Experts are sounding the alarm, predicting that the forthcoming Australian summer could bring the most intense bushfire season since the devastating “Black Summer” of 2019-2020. During that catastrophic period, bushfires raged across Australia’s eastern seaboard, destroying vast forested areas, the tragic loss of millions of animals, and pervasive air pollution in cities due to thick smoke.

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Picture: X / FortemAustralia

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