SYDNEY: A bushfire in Australia’s Victoria state has forced authorities to evacuate residents to a remote part of Tasmania state as the spring heatwave is fanning fires across the country’s southeast, Western media reported on Tuesday.
According to state authorities around 17,000 hectares were on fire on Tuesday (Oct 3) in the in Gippsland region after strong winds spread fires overnight. Around 650 firefighters have been deployed to control the fire.
Jason Heffernan, chief officer at Country Fire Authority Victoria told media that strike teams have been moved in the very early hours of the morning.
He added that the fire was quite large fire and spreading fast in the area making it difficult to extinguish.
Spring heatwave grips Australia
Australia is currently in the grip of a spring heatwave and the dry winds across the southeast are feared to cause wildfires.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, September was the driest month of the year with rainfall 71 percent below the 1961 to 1990 average.
Read Also: Heatwave Sweeps Australia’s Southeast, Raising Bushfire Risk
It says that conditions are expected to change in Victoria on Tuesday afternoon, with heavy rains likely to help douse fires.
Hot and dry conditions also led New South Wales authorities on Tuesday to issue a ban on open fires across large swathes of the state.
Currently, about 82 fires are burning across Victoria state and the temperatures are expected to hit 37 degrees Celsius (98.6°F) in Sydney’s west on Tuesday afternoon.
