AUSTRALIA. Fires described as “monsters” are currently ravaging south-eastern Australia, where already 8.4 million hectares have gone up in smoke since September. At least 25 people died, as well as half a billion animals, including koalas and kangaroos.
The essential
- If Australia is used to undergoing bush fires, this year the fires take on unprecedented proportions. Already 8.4 million hectares of vegetation have burned since September, the equivalent of the area of Austria, or nine times the extent of the portion of Amazon rainforest that fires destroyed this summer.
- At least 25 people died in the fires, and tens of thousands more were forced to vacate their homes for safety reasons.
- The end of 2019 and the very first days of 2020 were marked by a worsening of the situation, leading to surges of international solidarity. Since this weekend, the rain has allowed a drop in temperatures, from 49 to 24 degrees in the Sydney area, allowing a reduction in fires. Thunderstorms could, however, occur over south-eastern Australia, which could trigger new fires. The wind could also fuel fires already underway.
- A further rise in temperatures is expected to occur in the coming days, and the usual fire season is just beginning in the country. According to Australian authorities, the most worrying is yet to come: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has publicly estimated that the situation could continue for “months” yet.
- The fires have already killed at least half a billion dead animals, including 30% of the population of koalas in the southeast of the country, as well as many kangaroos and several endangered species. Experts describe the ongoing fires in Australia as a biodiversity disaster and an ecological disaster. Australia also had to make the decision to kill 10,000 wild camels.
On this map generated from the NASA website, we can observe the evolution of fires since December 1, 2019, with a considerable increase in the number of fire hotspots in the southeast of the country, at the end of December.
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Live
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11:22 – New fires in southeast Australia?
Firefighters from New South Wales have provided new information on the development of fires in the south-east of the country, where 119 fires are currently underway. Mostly, a thunderstorm took place last night in the Sydney area and in the Blue Montains. Lightning bolts were seen, and firefighters announced that they were going to conduct reconnaissance today to see if this would generate new fire starting points.
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11:05 – Cricketers on a burnt ground
Two cricketers, a major sport in Australia, moved to the places of intervention of the fire soldiers in New South Wales. The objective of this visit was to support the firefighters and to thank them for their work. In this video, you can see a glimpse of the charred territories of this region that players have visited.
Australian Cricketers Tim Paine and Nathan Lyon took time out from their busy schedule to visit fire affected areas of NSW, including Wingello in the Southern Highlands. It was a welcome distraction for firefighters still working on the fire ground. @CricketAus @FRNSW #NSWRFS pic.twitter.com/flrLhNuc60
– NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) January 8, 2020
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10:54 – 10,000 camels will be slaughtered in Australia
Australian authorities have announced their decision to kill 10,000 wild camels. These are snipers who will perform this operation from helicopters. According to AFP sources, dromedaries constitute a danger for the population because, thirsty, they approach certain inhabited areas.
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07/01/20 – 23:33 – Terrible images of the fires in Australia
[Fin du direct] Despite a lull, fires continue to rage in Australia, as can be seen in these impressive Guardian footage. However, we expect a further rise in temperatures this week, which could give a new dimension to the fires.
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