Australian firefighters have been battling wildfires that have been going on for five days, claiming one person and destroying 32 homes in the eastern Australian state of Queensland, officials announced on Friday.
Dry lightning bolts resulting from thunderstorms not accompanied by rain complicate efforts by starting fires in dry forests, according to the fire department.
Crews are currently battling about 20 bushfires across the state, according to Peter Hollier, assistant commissioner of Queensland Fire and Emergency Services.
One of the deadliest fires near Tara has destroyed more than 20,000 hectares of land since it broke out over the weekend, he told ABC Public Network.
That fire has destroyed 32 homes so far. Hollier expected the number to rise because teams were unable to reach burned areas in the forests.
About 250 people who fled their homes spent Thursday night in shelters, according to officials.
The remains of an unidentified person were found in Tara on Tuesday, according to Queensland Police.
Hollier said dry lightning bolts struck the state over the past two nights.
He added that these lightning bolts cause new fires to ignite, explaining that firefighting teams are trying to extinguish them amid high temperature levels that reached 42 degrees before they begin to decline.
Queensland fire brigades have dealt with 400 fires so far this week.
In the neighboring state of New South Wales, the fire service reported that 58 fires had broken out and gotten out of control.
Australia is facing the most severe wildfire season since 2019-2020, when wildfires broke out along the eastern coast of Australia, destroying vast areas of forests, eliminating millions of animals and covering cities in smoke.
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2023-10-27 11:49:03
