A large-scale rescue operation was underway, Wednesday, January 1, to assist thousands of refugees in coastal cities after fleeing fires ravaging large areas of the country.
Since Monday evening, eight people have died as a result of the fires, and several people are still missing.
Unable to access certain areas
Military ships and planes have been deployed to provide humanitarian aid and assess the damage after one of the worst days since the start of the fire season in September.
More than 200 houses have been destroyed and some villages are nothing but smoking ruins.
Plot information from several tourist areas in the southeast of the mainland is showing thousands of holidaymakers and locals who spent the New Year’s Eve stranded by the sea, cornered by flames, in clubs surfing in particular. The fires caused numerous power, telephone and internet outages.
Firefighters have had great difficulty rescuing burn victims in isolated areas: “We have not been able to access by road or by plane in certain places, it is too dangerous and we cannot access it, any more than people can leave these areas”said Shane Fitzsimmons, New South Wales State Fire Chief.
The military fear it may take days to reach some very remote areas.
4,000 people saved in Mallacoota
Good news, however, in the coastal tourist town of Mallacoota, where 4,000 people stranded on the beach, protected by fire trucks, escaped without damage.
“There was a standing ovation for the firefighters at the end of this operation”, Victoria State emergency management chief Andrew Crisp told ABC.
Authorities were preparing for the possibility that Mallacoota was cut off from the world for weeks. Food drops have started and a boat loaded with two weeks of food was due to arrive Wednesday. A 25-bed medical center floating off the coast was planned to accommodate the injured.
However, the joy was short-lived for many local residents who found their homes completely destroyed.
Less extreme temperatures and weaker winds gave the firefighters some respite on Wednesday, but conditions should again favor the progression of the fires from Saturday.
Authorities are also concerned after new fires in mountainous regions started on Tuesday. “Many people are on vacation in these areas”, noted Andrew Crisp. “We will make these fires our priority and we will tackle them as strongly as we can”.
Government criticized
In total, at least 17 people have died and more than 1,000 homes have been destroyed since the start of the fire season in September. About 5.5 million hectares have gone up in smoke, more than the area of a country like Denmark or the Netherlands.
Satellite images show that smoke from the latest fires crossed the Tasman Sea to reach New Zealand.
The Australian government is widely criticized for managing the crisis. Prime Minister Scott Morrison went on vacation to Hawaii when the fire crisis raged in December. He also renewed his support for the lucrative but highly polluting Australian coal industry, as global warming is singled out to explain this fire season more violent than ever.
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