Over 100 brush fires, fanned by high winds and temperatures exceeding 100°F, continue to ravage the suburbs of Sydney, Australia’s largest city, and Canberra, the country’s capital. 150 homes have been destroyed so far, and thousands of people have been forced to evacuate the affected areas. Firefighters and residents have been able to save more than 1,100 homes.
According to BBC reports the fire line now stretches over 450 miles in an arc around Sydney, and a thick pall of smoke hovers over the city. Around 5000 firefighters aided by Navy helicopters and aircraft dropping water are trying to contain the devastation, but the winds and temperatures have so far prevented them from bringing the fires under control. Reports of surges of fire nearly 200 feet in height are common.
Conditions improved slightly today as milder weather slowed the fires temporarily, but fire chiefs say the blazes, the worst since 1994, could still burn for up to 10 days. A shift in the wind has driven the flames up into the Blue Mountains to the west of Sydney.
Holiday resorts and parks have been evacuated, and the police have closed several major thoroughfares as the clouds of smoke have reduced visibility to near zero. The normally heavy traffic over the Christmas holidays has been brought to a near standstill in some portions of Sydney.
New South Wales Rural Fire Services Commissioner Phil Koperberg told the BBC that as many as 40 unexplained fires may have been deliberately lit. The acting New South Wales State Premier, Andrew Refshauge, said the culprits would face the strongest penalties available. So far officials have no leads as to who may have started them and have made no arrests.
Prime Minister John Howard has visited several burned out communities in New South Wales, and has promised government aid to victims of the fires. Although no estimates have yet been made on the amount of the losses, they are expected to be heavy. A series of similar fires in 1994 caused the death of four persons and millions of dollars in property damage.
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