Late-Summer Bushfires Hit S. Australia After Record Hot Summer; 6,000 Hectares Burned So Far
Homes have gone up in flames and skies turned blood red as nearly 1,000 firefighters battle dozens of out-of-control blazes in southern Australia in the wake of the nation's warmest summer on record.
A days-long heatwave sent temperatures soaring towards 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) over the weekend, with bushfires raging across Victoria state forcing thousands of people to flee their homes.
A lightning strike late last week sparked southeast Victoria's most severe at Bunyip State Park, which has burnt more than 6,000 hectares (14,800 acres) so far.
Aerial footage of the destruction showed tall trees engulfed by bright red flames and the smouldering, blackened wreckage of buildings. At least nine structures, including homes, have so far been damaged in the infernos, officials said.
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https://phys.org/news/2019-03-bushfires-rage-australia-hottest-summer.html
