Canberra : Australian authorities said wildfires that broke out earlier this week amid an intense heatwave in the south of the country have burned more than 300,000 hectares of forest, with 10 major fires still active across Victoria state.
Authorities reported that more than 130 buildings, including homes, were destroyed, while power outages affected around 38,000 residences and businesses.
The fires were described as the most severe to hit Victoria since the 2019–2020 bushfire season, which resulted in 33 fatalities.
Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan said thousands of firefighters are deployed to contain the blazes and that efforts are underway to bring them under control where possible. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the country is facing extreme and dangerous fire weather, particularly in Victoria, where large areas have been declared disaster zones.
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology issued heatwave warnings for much of Victoria on Saturday, while fire weather warnings were also in place for neighbouring New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.
