The risk of fire has recently dropped slightly due to falling temperatures and falling winds. Nevertheless, the death toll from the bush fires in Australia has risen to four. The body of a man had been discovered during firefighting in Kempsey, New South Wales, the police said on Thursday. He was missing for several days.
In addition, the authorities have now arrested two suspected arsonists. According to the police, firefighters were alerted to a 20-year-old who had just ignited a bush fire while rescuing a paraglider from a tree near Wollongong, just 80 kilometers south of Sydney. The fire had been extinguished immediately, as the flames had covered only a small area.
Another alleged arsonist had been arrested on Wednesday evening after an army helicopter crew observed suspicious behavior of a man in the Royal National Park near Sydney. The soldiers helped the police find the man who hid from the officers, the Daily Telegraph reported Thursday.
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Bushfire in Australia: A country in crisis modeThe authorities believe that some of the many bush fires have been intentionally laid. The flames have already covered several thousand square kilometers of bushland in New South Wales and neighboring Queensland. Both regions have declared a state of emergency. Evacuations were ordered on parts of the East Coast, which is also popular with tourists.
Light relaxation in NSW, but it will be problematic in Queensland
In Queensland alone, four bushfires burn, which are considered emergency at the highest level of danger. The authorities ordered evacuations in many communities on the East Coast, which is also popular with tourists. The highest warning level of the fire department applies approximately to Noosa North Shore, a beach town about 150 kilometers north of the capital Brisbane.
In the video: The worst is still ahead of Australia
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People were urged to leave the area immediately. According to the authorities, the bushfire blazes less than a kilometer away from a campsite on the coast. The only way out, therefore, over the sea: People should get by ferry to safety while they still can.
In total, more than 1.1 million hectares of land have already been affected in eastern Australia. In New South Wales, there are about 70 fires, of which 50 could be contained. Since last week, about 300 houses have been damaged or destroyed by fires.