Australia: Fire Catastrophe Worsens
The bushfires in southeastern Australia are taking on increasingly dramatic proportions and have so far claimed the lives of at least twelve people.
In the state of Victoria, thousands of holidaymakers fled to the beach to seek shelter from the approaching wall of flames.
A father and his son were found dead on Tuesday near the coast of the state of New South Wales, according to authorities: they had apparently tried to protect their home in the town of Cobargo from the blaze. A firefighter died on Monday in a fire tornado in the state of New South Wales. Five further people were still reported missing. In the southern state of Victoria, thousands of holidaymakers fled to the beach to seek shelter from the approaching flames.
In the face of largely uncontrolled large-scale fires and escape routes cut off in many areas, rescue workers are fearing for the lives of four missing persons in Victoria. In neighbouring New South Wales, the search continues for one missing man.
Sydney Went Ahead with Fireworks
Amid the chaos and growing air pollution, the coastal metropolis of Sydney pressed ahead with its traditional New Year's Eve harbour fireworks despite protests. Hundreds of thousands of people who signed a petition had made a last-ditch effort to have the pyrotechnic show cancelled, to no avail.
The city stuck to its plans; the fire service granted a special permit for the fireworks.
At the grand New Year's Eve celebration at the harbour, attended by around one million visitors, the flags on the Harbour Bridge were flown at half-mast in memory of the victims before the fireworks were launched. The influx of tourists at New Year's brings Sydney annual revenues of around 80 million euros.
The Red Cross planned to collect donations during the New Year's Eve celebrations for the exhausted rescue workers and those people who had lost almost everything to the flames.
Climate Change and Koalas
With regard to the bushfires, it was not Sydney's New Year's Eve fireworks but climate change that was the real problem, said the Lord Mayor of the coastal metropolis. «People have lost their homes, people have died. Firefighters have been killed defending their communities», Clover Moore added to reporters on Tuesday, criticizing the climate policy of the government in Canberra. «What is happening here is a wake-up call for our governments to contribute effectively to reducing global emissions in the future.»
Australian conservationists are also lamenting the impact of the ongoing bushfires on kangaroos, koalas, and other wildlife. «Many animals were already suffering from a lack of water and food due to the drought», writes the animal rescue service Wires in the state of New South Wales on its website.
«With the fires destroying an unprecedented number of habitats the shortage of food has also worsened», the organization laments. Australian media have repeatedly reported on kangaroos, koalas, and other animals fleeing the flames or being burned in them.
Firefighters repeatedly reported koalas, kangaroos, and other animals approaching helpers in a thirsty state to be cared for. Photos show people giving koalas water using drinking bottles. The animals rarely drink. The water from the leaves they eat is usually sufficient for them.
The bushfires have been raging in Australia since October, but the situation has never seemed as extreme as it does now. In New South Wales alone, an area the size of Belgium has already burned, and nearly 1’000 homes have been destroyed. And there is no end to the inferno in sight: further temperature increases well above 40 degrees and severe storms with strong wind gusts were expected on Tuesday, which could fan the fires further.
Fire tornado hurls fire truck through the air
The case of the firefighter who died on Monday illustrates the destructive power of the flames: his twelve-tonne fire engine was lifted into the air by a tornado triggered by the fire and crashed to the ground roof-first. Two colleagues of the 28-year-old were taken to hospital with burns and other injuries.
A smaller emergency vehicle was also hurled through the air by the force of the fanned winds and flung onto its roof. Another firefighter was seriously injured in the process. Regional fire chief Shane Fitzsimmons described the situation — with the bushfire between Sydney and Melbourne completely out of control — as "truly terrifying".
Residents flee the embers to the beach
In the coastal town of Mallacoota, located around 500 kilometres east of Melbourne, approximately 4’000 holidaymakers were instructed by authorities to make their way to the sea for safety reasons. As most escape routes via road had been cut off, many of them gathered on the beach. Even there, the wind carried ash fragments and burning embers from the fires raging all around. The sky above Mallacoota was “pitch black, and it is very frightening,” said Andrew Crisp of Emergency Management Victoria.
Robert Phillips, co-owner of a local supermarket, told news agency Reuters on Tuesday that he was sheltering around 45 people in his store, while others had fled to the town's harbour. «There are fires everywhere, embers are blowing through the streets everywhere», he said. «There are many children here who cannot breathe properly.» The town had been cut off from the outside world.
Social media posts from people still trapped in the town show blood-red, smoke-filled skies and tourists lying shoulder to shoulder on the beach, some wearing respiratory masks.
