SYDNEY: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Sunday pledged all support needed to help Victoria state in a day-long emergency for a bushfire that destroyed homes after authorities warned extreme heat could fuel the flames this week.
“We will provide whatever support is requested by Victoria,” Albanese told reporters in the Victorian city of Frankston, according to a transcript.
“It’s a reminder that we need to be vigilant so we can continue to work and act against the threat that is climate change.”
The fire killed livestock, destroyed six houses and forced more than 2,000 people to leave western towns and head for the city of Ballarat, 95 km (60 mi) west of the state capital Melbourne.
Australia is in the grip of El Nino weather, which is usually associated with extreme events such as fires, cyclones and drought.
More than 15 bushfires were burning across Victoria on Sunday, with the most serious blaze at the second highest level of danger near several remote towns, according to the State Emergency Management Agency.
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State officials said there were concerns about the weather this week, especially Wednesday through Thursday, when extreme heat is forecast to fuel the fires.
About 1,000 firefighters, supported by more than 50 aircraft, have battled the fires since their inception.
Australia’s last two bushfire seasons have paled in comparison to the “black summer” of 2019-2020, when fires ravaged an area the size of Turkey, killing 33 people and an estimated 3 billion animals.
