Catastrophic Wildfires Burning In Australia

Wildfires are destroying Australia’s forests. A state of emergency was placed Monday in Canberra, Australia’s most populated state.

David Elliott is the Minister of Emergency Services in New South Wales, which is the southernmost state.

“Residents are facing what could be the most dangerous bushfire week this nation has ever seen.”

-David Elliott

The fires in the northeast have destroyed over 150 homes, claimed three lives, burned more than 3,800 square miles of farmland and forest since Friday.

Ambulance Commissioner Dominic Morgan said; Doctors and paramedics have treated 20 firefighters and over 100 others with fire-related injuries.

Wildfires ravished through nine homes north of New South Wales on Monday in Queensland state. In Brisbane, the state capital and surrounding cities the air quality dipped to a rating of ‘very poor’.

Residents were urged to stay indoors by Health authorities.

Tuesday the conditions in New South Wales are supposed to be even worse.

Over 600 schools and technical colleges will be closed on Tuesday due to the fire risk. The Australian military has even stepped in to support 1,500 firefighters who are trying to tame 60 blazes through out the state.

“The last time a state of emergency was declared in New South Wales was in 2013, when there were extensive fires in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney.”

– Premier Gladys Berejiklian

(Cover photo courtesy of ABC, video courtesy of YouTube and Skynews, source USAToday)