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Fire in Australia burns near former military range Australia battles scores of bushfires
(about 2 hours later)
Fire crews in south-east Australia are tackling bushfires ahead of a weekend hot spell, including one near an army range littered with unexploded bombs. Fire crews are tackling dozens of bushfires in south-east Australia, as forecasters predict another spell of hot weather for the weekend.
The blaze at Dean's Gap in New South Wales is just a kilometre from an area used by the military as a bombing range until the 1970s. More than 100 separate fires are burning in New South Wales. Some 3,000 sq km of land has been razed.
More than 100 separate fires are still burning in the state, razing at least 300,000 hectares of land. One of the fires is encroaching on a disused army range littered with unexploded bombs, though fire crews are confident they can tackle the blaze.
Forecasters predict another hot spell at the weekend. Dozens of homes have been destroyed, but no-one is believed to have died.
Temperatures are also rising in Queensland, where a bushfire started on Bribie Island, north of the city of Brisbane. Wildfires plague Australia most years during the hot, dry summers.
The worst fires in recent memory killed more than 170 people in early 2009.
This year, a spell of record-breaking hot weather across the south-east has helped fan the fires.
'Tornadoes of fire''Tornadoes of fire'
At the Dean's Gap fire near the Tianjara plateau, fire crews are confident they can stop the fire before it reaches the former military range, ABC News reports. Tasmania was the first state to be affected, before fires broke out in New South Wales.
They are using special gels and bulldozers to carve out fire containment lines at the range, which is now part of a national park. Some blazes have also been reported in Victoria and Queensland.
"We can't do any water-bombing with aircraft or something like that in case the weight of the water when it hits the ground sets off any unexploded ordnance," Brett Loughlin, from the RFS, told ABC News. Officials said of some 120 fires in New South Wales, 17 remained uncontained, and more than 3,000 sq km (1,160 sq miles) of land has been destroyed.
"So it's a total no-fly zone and that will mean [if] the fire gets into that area, there's nothing we can do for it except wait for it on the other side. The worst blazes are in the state's south near Yass, Sussex Inlet and Cooma.
Seventeen fires remain uncontained in New South Wales, with the worst blazes burning in the state's south near Yass, Sussex Inlet and Cooma. At Dean's Gap, near Sussex Inlet, more than 100 firefighters are trying to stop the blaze reaching the disused army range.
The Rural Fire Service (RFS) there said crews had worked around the clock to take advantage of cooler conditions brought on by a southerly wind. They are using special gels and bulldozers to carve out containment lines.
"The cooler conditions have certainly assisted the fire fighters on the ground in being able to get in and get some containment lines established around these fires, and indeed back-burn around some of those containment lines," Superintendent Matt Inwood told ABC News. "We need to get a really good handle on that fire before high fire danger conditions return," said a Rural Fire Service (RFS) spokeswoman.
"We definitely will make the most of those conditions while we have them, but we're very mindful of the warmer conditions expected over the coming week." Firefighters have been scrambling to take advantage of cooler weather on Wednesday and Thursday.
In Cooma, there are at least 80 firefighting aircraft, 360 fire trucks and more than 1,000 RFS volunteers trying to contain the fires in the area, local reports say.In Cooma, there are at least 80 firefighting aircraft, 360 fire trucks and more than 1,000 RFS volunteers trying to contain the fires in the area, local reports say.
Bushfires also continue to cause concern in southern and northern Tasmania. Bushfires also continue to cause concern in Tasmania.
A large blaze is still burning out of control by the Tasman peninsula, near areas already hit by major blazes over the weekend. More than 20,000 hectares of land and 120 homes have been destroyed, but no deaths have been reported. A large blaze is still burning out of control by the Tasman peninsula, near areas already hit by major blazes over the weekend.
"We're expecting wind conditions to be slightly less than what we had yesterday. Temperatures are lower. Our fire danger rating today will be in the high range, but it's not going to cause us too much concern," Mike Brown, Tasmania chief fire officer, told the Associated Press news agency. More than 200 sq km of land and 120 homes have been destroyed.
Photos of a Tasmanian family shown clinging to a jetty surrounded by "tornadoes of fire" have been widely shared by the international media. "Even though conditions at the moment have calmed down a little bit, that doesn't mean that people can become complacent," said Tasmania Fire Service's Paul Symington.
Tim Holmes told ABC News that he, his wife and their five grandchildren sought shelter in the water under a jetty when the bushfire closed in on the town of Dunalley, 57km (35 miles) east of the state's capital, Hobart. "They still need to be vigilant, still monitor the websites and the radios because if things do change, they need to be on top of it."
"We saw tornadoes of fire just coming across towards us and the next thing we knew everything was on fire, everywhere all around us," Mr Holmes said. Photos of a Tasmanian family clinging to a jetty surrounded by fire have been widely shared by the international media.
Later on, he managed to make his way to shore and fetch a dinghy to transport his wife and the children, with ages ranging from two to 11. Tim Holmes said he and his wife and their five grandchildren sought shelter in the water under a jetty for three hours.
Meanwhile fire fighters in south-west Victoria continue to battle a bushfire near Portland. The state government said it was considering offering emergency grants to people who had lost their homes. "We saw tornadoes of fire just coming across towards us and the next thing we knew everything was on fire, everywhere all around us," he said.
The fires follow days of searing heat. The national average maximum daily temperature exceeded 39C from 2-8 January, breaking a previous record of four consecutive days of such heat. Later on, he managed to make his way to shore and fetch a dinghy to transport his wife and the children.
Meanwhile firefighters in south-west Victoria continue to battle a bushfire near Portland. The state government said it was considering offering emergency grants to people who had lost their homes.
The fires follow days of searing heat.
The national average maximum daily temperature exceeded 39C (102F) from 2-8 January, breaking a previous record of four consecutive days of such heat.
Average national top temperatures on Monday of 40.33C set a new record.Average national top temperatures on Monday of 40.33C set a new record.
The bureau has added new colours to its forecast chart to indicate temperatures above the previous 50C-limit because of the heat wave. The bureau has added new colours to its forecast chart to indicate temperatures above the previous 50C limit because of the heatwave.
It said extreme temperatures would continue in Australia for the next week.It said extreme temperatures would continue in Australia for the next week.
Are you in Australia? Have you been affected by the wildfires? You can send us your experiences using the form below.Are you in Australia? Have you been affected by the wildfires? You can send us your experiences using the form below.
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