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Photo: Screen shot from Australian ABC News
21 Nov 2019

Worst wildfire season in a decade in Australia

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"Get out of there! You will not not survive! 

Thick smoke had settled over Sydney when residents woke up on Thursday. The worst forest fires in a decade are still raging in Australia - and in several states, authorities are warning of both smoke and fire.

"Don´t be there! If it starts to burn, you will not survive", says Steve Warrington, at the rescue service in the state of Victoria.

Residents in both Sydney and Adelaide woke up to the thick fire that had swept over the cities on Thursday morning. This is the second time in a week that smoke has settled over the big cities - and this time it is described as even worse than before.

People are urged to stay indoors and in several states, disaster alerts have been issued to residents at the highest possible level.

 

Several dead

Six people have died during forest fires over the past month, the BBC reports.

Warnings have been issued in all six states of the country. More than 50 fires are raging in the state of New South Wales, where Sydney, the capital is located.

1.2 million hectares have been burned down since September this year. And fires are expected to worsen as temperatures rise later in the week.

Because of the high temperatures, the fires are even worse in the states of Victoria and South Australia. With temperatures of up to 45 degrees C, in combination with harsh winds, fires spread quickly. It is described as the worst forest fires since the so-called "Black Saturday" in 2009 when 173 people died during forest fires in Victoria.

 

Rescue Services urge: "Don't be there"

Residents of the northern parts of Victoria are urged to leave the area.

"Don´t be there. If it starts to burn (near you), you will not survive", says Steve Warrington, of the rescue service in the state of Victoria, according to the Australian newspaper The Age.

He continues:

"If you live in those areas and it starts to burn, the fire will take your home". You have to make sure you're not there.

Photo: (Above) Screen shot from ABC News Youtube report. See video above