Fast-moving fires torch national parks in southeast Australia
Firefighters were desperately trying to stop a cluster of fast-moving blazes in southeast Australia on Tuesday, as thousands of acres of national park burned and a farming community was forced to evacuate.
Lightning strikes on Monday evening ignited several fires in the Grampians National Park, a forested mountain range about 300 kilometres (186 miles) west of Victoria's state capital Melbourne.
A separate fast-moving fire in Little Desert National Park in the west of the state has torn through almost 65,000 hectares (160,000 acres) in less than 24 hours, emergency services said, scorching an area almost as large as Singapore.
That fire had forced the evacuation of rural Dimboola before threat levels were downgraded on Tuesday afternoon.
"I'm incredibly thankful that no lives have been lost and we have no reports of injury either," emergency management commissioner Rick Nugent told reporters.
Chris Hardman from Forest Fire Management Victoria warned that weather conditions over the next few days are increasing the possibility the fires will spread.
"Right now firefighters are planning to do everything in their powers to protect communities," he said.
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Kevin Parkyn said stifling heatwave conditions would settle over parts of Victoria on Saturday, escalating fire risks.
"When we look at the next seven to 10 days the main message is that there will be a hot dome over Victoria.
"Once we get into the weekend don't be surprised if we see heatwave conditions unfold across the state, and continue to intensify into next week.
"The landscape is dry, and if we continue to see these hot conditions, it will continue to dry the landscape out further."
Hotter temperatures are fuelling increasingly severe natural disasters across Australia, researchers have found.
Scientists have documented a marked increase in extreme fire weather across the country since the 1950s.
The unprecedented "Black Summer" bushfires of 2019-2020 killed 33 people and millions of animals, razed vast tracts of forest and blanketed major cities in thick smoke.
sft/lb
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
‘Winter has arrived': Coldest morning of year
Millions woke to an icy chill on Thursday morning as a polar snap blanketed much of the southeast coast, marking the coldest morning of the year for Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane. The first week of winter has arrived in Australia in spectacular fashion, with a pressure system and southerly wind bringing cold air and frost to Sydney and spreading into South East Queensland and much of Victoria. Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Jonathan How said the polar conditions were just the beginning. 'We're already sort of feeling the chill across much of eastern Australia,' he told NewsWire, adding it was already stretching into neighbouring states. 'Yesterday was very cold in Sydney and then this morning we've had some very cold temperatures, particularly through the Darling Downs and also inland parts of NSW,' Mr How said. Overnight, temperatures dipped to a chilly 0C in Oakey, 1C in Dalby and 3C in Toowoomba, but conditions were even colder in NSW, plummeting to -7C at Goulburn Airport and across the coast. Sydney woke to a teeth-chattering 7C on Thursday morning, nearly 2C lower than the June average and marking one of the iciest mornings of the year. It was an exceptionally chilly start to the day for Canberra, which recorded -4C on Thursday morning. Temperatures dipped to an icy 4C in Melbourne, also dropping past the 5.3C average for the month. Thursday morning was the coldest for residents in Queensland, with a polar blast so intense that some residents in southern Queensland could be hit with a rare sight of snow. 'Winter has arrived,' Mr How told NewsWire. The chill is set to stick around for the several more days as the icy blast spreads into Victoria and parts of Queensland. 'We are expecting to see some very wintry conditions coming through for NSW and Victoria,' Mr How said. 'Queensland will see that cold air really pushing in later the week, on the weekend and into sort of early next week.' While the skies will be dry for most of the week in Sydney and Brisbane until Saturday, the cold front is expected to trigger thunderstorms, widespread rain, frost and 'lots of snow'. 'We'll see some snowfall from across the Central Tablelands to the west of Sydney on Monday,' Mr How told NewsWire. 'Then by Monday night, that cold air will stretch all the way up into the tablelands.' Between Thursday and Tuesday, Mr How said there could be between 60cm and 70cm of snow across the alpine resorts, spanning Perisher, Thredbo, Mount Hotham, Falls Creek and Mount Buller. '(It's) really good news for the start of the ski season,' Mr How said. 'It would be very windy, so we would see blizzard conditions as well, but very good news for the ski resorts.' As the ski season kicks off on the King's Birthday long weekend, it's not just the tourist alpine regions set to be blanketed with snow – Queensland may also witness a rare sight of snowfall in the southern regions. Snow and flurries are forecast to settle in the southern regions of Queensland, with a forecast of 14mm of snow to fall from late Monday to Tuesday. 'We'll see minimums getting down to below 5C along southern Queensland,' Mr How told NewsWire. 'Brisbane will get pretty cold as well.' Brisbane residents can get used to the cold mornings, with temperatures forecast to dip to single digits for 'some of those mornings next week', though there will be very little chance of rain. While it's not particularly rare for parts of southern Queensland to experience a cold snap, Mr How said the timings aligned perfectly with the first week of winter. '(The conditions) are not out of the ordinary, but given how mild it has been across Queensland (recently), it might be a bit of a shock to the system,' he said. It's a good time to take out the blankets and slippers, as cold conditions are set to stick around for several days. 'It'll stay cool across Queensland for much of the week with those cooler southwesterly winds but mostly dry,' he said, adding temperatures would start to creep back up by the second half of next week. For NSW and Victoria, however, the icy temperatures are likely to continue for much of next week. 'So certainly winter has arrived,' Mr How said. Brisbane residents will feel the chill on Thursday morning but conditions will improve in the afternoon, with sunny skies and a top of 21C. Sydney residents can anticipate a mostly sunny day, with clouds and a slight chance of a shower in the morning near the coast, reaching a top of 17C. It's frosty and a cold morning in Canberra, with light winds and sunny skies and a maximum temperature of 14C. Melbourne residents are also in for a frosty and cold day, with light winds and partly cloudy skies, reaching a top of 15C. It's cloudy skies, frost in the east and a possible shower in the early morning for Hobart, reaching a maximum of 13C. It will be a wet day for Adelaide, with a medium chance of showers in the evening and cloudy skies, with a top of 17C. Perth residents can expect a partly cloudy day with a medium chance of showers and a maximum of 20C. It will be mostly sunny in Darwin, with light winds and a top of 31C.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Warning for Aussie families going camping ahead of the King's birthday long weekend
Even though it's getting cold, some risks are heightened. Found out how to stay safe and avoid fines of up to $47,000. It's important to know the rules around campfires, as mistakes can be devastating for the environment and very costly for the camper. Source: Getty A warning has been issued for those planning to get away this long weekend. For many Aussies, public holidays go hand-in-hand with a trip away, but those heading outdoors to spend a couple of nights under the stars are being urged to stay alert. Now that it is officially winter, it may feel like the fire risk has passed – but authorities in one state are reminding campers that many parks and forests remain dry, meaning bush fire risk is still very real and present. In parts of western, southwestern and southeastern Victoria, a warmer and drier-than-average autumn has led to a higher fire risk than usual. Forest Fire Management Victoria Chief Fire Officer Chris Hardman said campfires can quickly become devastating bushfires. Authorities warn that even though the temperatures have dropped, the fire risk is actually heightened. Source: Forest Fire Management Victoria 'Even at this time of year, just one unattended or poorly managed campfire can cause serious damage to the environment and put lives and property at risk,' Mr Hardman said. ADVERTISEMENT 'This season, we've responded to more than 370 incidents involving campfires. This included the Boroka Lookout Fire, where an illegal campfire turned into a bushfire in difficult terrain, on the edge of the cliff diverting resources responding to bushfires in the Grampians National Park. 'With a little extra care around your campfire this long weekend, we can keep forests and parks healthy and safe for everyone to enjoy.' He added an important tip, reminding campers to never leave a campfire unattended and always use water to extinguish it. If it's cool to touch, it's safe to Fire Management Victoria Chief Fire Officer Chris Hardman Rangers will be patrolling the state's parks and forests on the lookout for any illegal campfires and rule flouters this long weekend. So what are the rules? You can light a campfire anywhere in a state forest if it is safe to do so No fires allowed on Total Fire Ban Days If it is hot and windy, reconsider if you really need to light a fire Fireplaces need to be either purpose-built by the land manager or in a hole in the ground at least 30cm deep Clear at least 3 metres around the fire of anything that could burn, like leaves, tents, clothing etc. Keep your fire and all logs under 1 metre across Never leave a fire unattended Fully extinguish a fire before going to bed or leaving the campsite – even for a short period of time Only use water to put out a campfire. Ashes can stay hot underneath dirt and soil, and can reignite days later ADVERTISEMENT Anyone found breaking the rules in Victorian public land face a maximum penalty of $19,759 if the matter goes to court. Lighting a fire on a Total Fire Ban day can land you a seriously big $47,421.60 fine and two years in jail. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Yahoo
Travel chaos as thick fog blankets Sydney
Flights have been affected, ferries have been brought to a standstill and motorists are facing traffic nightmares from a thick blanket of fog which has descended over Sydney. Eerie pictures show fog blanketing the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Monday, reducing visibility to barely more than 100 metres during morning peak hour. Sydney Ferries suspended all voyages for a time. Flights have also been affected, with air traffic control spacing out arrivals and departures due to the poor visibility. Road users were being cautioned right across the metro area. 'Reduced visibility in fog will make road conditions dangerous during Monday in all suburbs,' an early morning Bureau of Meteorology alert said. However, by 8.30am the issues on the road had eased. 'The road weather alert for all suburbs has been cancelled, but the situation will continue to be monitored and further alerts will be issued if necessary,' an updated alert says. Despite conditions easing on the roads, ferries were not expected to operate. 'No Sydney ferries are running at all due to the heavy fog,' Sydney Ferries said on Monday morning. 'Make alternative travel arrangements.' However, as the fog lifted, ferries from began operating again, from about 9am, a Transport for NSW spokesman told NewsWire. Footage posted online shows the thick blanket of fog engulfing the city. While there are blue skies above the low level of fog, the mist covers city skyscrapers and landmarks. Video posted from what appears to be an apartment, at least 15 stories high, shows just the top of the Sydney Tower poking out. 'Most of the Sydney landmarks – Harbour Bridge, Opera House and even some of the Sydney Tower, are still asleep behind a blanket of fog. I think it's giving us a message for the start of the work week,' the video caption reads.
