Image copyright
ADAM STEVENSON/Reuters
A kookaburra on a burnt tree in a fire-ravaged region of New South Wales
Australian authorities have warned that massive bushfires raging in two states will continue to pose a threat, despite “catastrophic” conditions easing.
About 150 fires are still burning in New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland, feeding off tinder-dry conditions.
Fifty houses were destroyed or damaged in NSW on Tuesday but no lives were lost, officials said. At one point, fires broke out in suburbs of Sydney.
Queensland is expected to face dangerous wind changes on Wednesday.
“The conditions are of concern to us,” said Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, adding that communities were already facing emergency alerts.
The threat in NSW has been downgraded from catastrophic – the highest level – but officials urged residents to remain vigilant.
“We’ve got the worst of the summer – the worst of the season – still ahead of us as we head into summer,” said NSW Rural Fire Services Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons.
What’s happening in Queensland?
More than 60 bushfires are burning in the state amid forecasts of high temperatures, volatile winds and dry lightning.
Residents in Noosa North Shore, on the popular Sunshine Coast, were among those to be issued emergency alerts on Wednesday.
But officials warned that the winds were forecast to change direction later in the day, bringing unpredictable fire fronts.
“We could actually have three different weather fronts,” Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Assistant Commissioner Tony Johnstone told the ABC.
What about NSW?
Mr Fitzsimmons said it was a relief that no-one died on Tuesday given “the enormity of these fire grounds”. About 1.1 million hectares have been scorched in NSW since September.
Crews have been battling a front spanning 1,000km (620 miles) in NSW which has claimed three lives and razed up to 200 homes since Friday.
Flame retardant had to be dropped in Sydney’s northern suburbs as some bushfires approached within 15km (nine miles) of the city centre.
A firefighting plane dropped pink fire retardant in the area between Macquarie University and the Sydney Adventist Hospital in the South Turramurra suburb.
One resident who evacuated, Diksha Anand, told the BBC she had feared losing her house.
Media playback is unsupported on your device
Mr Fitzsimmons said: “We’ve really got a long way to go. You can guarantee we’re not going to be able to get around all of these fires before the next wave of bad weather.
“Unfortunately there’s no meaningful reprieve. There’s no rainfall in this change and we’re going to continue to have warm dry conditions dominating in the days and weeks ahead.”
Police are investigating reports that a fire in North Rothbury, in the Hunter Region of NSW, and at least two others, may have been started deliberately.
How bad are the fires?
Three people have died and more than 170 properties have been destroyed since the fire emergency intensified in NSW on Friday.
EPA
-
.the highest point on Australia’s six-point fire danger scale
-
.results from high temperatures, strong winds and dry ground
-
.fires starting under these conditions will threaten lives
-
.homes cannot be defended from catastrophic fires
-
.the only survival advice is to leave at risk areas early
Source: Australian government
Mr Fitzsimmons said 3,000 firefighters were on the front lines, boosted by crews from other states and New Zealand, as well as the Australian Defence Force.
- Latest images of fires raging in New South Wales
- Final WRC round cancelled due to fires
Australia’s conservative government has refused to be drawn on whether climate change could have contributed to the fires, in a response that has drawn criticism.
Is this linked to climate change?
Scientists and experts warn that Australia’s fire season has grown longer and more intense due to climate change.
Officials have confirmed that 2018 and 2017 were Australia’s third and fourth-hottest years on record respectively, and last year the nation experienced its warmest summer on record.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s State of the Climate 2018 report said climate change had led to an increase in extreme heat events and raised the severity of other natural disasters, such as drought.
Media playback is unsupported on your device
- Climate emergency ‘clear and unequivocal’
Even if global temperatures are contained to a 2C rise above pre-industrial levels – a limit set out in the landmark Paris accord, agreed by 188 nations in 2015 – scientists believe the country is facing a dangerous new normal.
Last year, a UN report said Australia was falling short in efforts to cut its CO2 emissions.
Have you been affected by the bushfires? Share your experiences by emailing [email protected].
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:
- WhatsApp: +44 7756 165803
- Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay
- Text an SMS or MMS to 61124 or +44 7624 800 100
- Please read our terms of use and privacy policy