SYDNEY: Warm winds fanned multiple blazes on Wednesday in an unusually early start to Australia's annual fire season, prompting a state leader to warn of a "horror" summer of bushfires ahead.
Firefighters said they had been fighting 18 out-of-control bushfires in the morning in the eastern state of New South Wales, some in the Bega Valley region of the state's southeastern coast.
At least three homes were lost in the flames, said New South Wales firefighters. One person was taken to hospital after a tree fell on a car, the state's police said.
"Be prepared for a horror summer," New South Wales Premier Chris Minns told a news conference in Bega.
"We are one week into October and we are experiencing mid-summer conditions," he said, citing various hot days above 30 degrees Celsius.
"Bushfires love this environment and it is devastating for regional communities in particular."
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese echoed the sentiment that the fire season had started early -- just one month into the Australian spring.
"We are standing here. We can see, we can smell the impact that these fires are having," he told the news conference.
Firefighters have been saying for some time that they are worried about dry conditions making the season more dangerous, said NSW Rural Fire Service commissioner Rob Rogers.
"The fire season is absolutely here. And we need to take this seriously," he said.
Scattered fires have swept rural neighbourhoods around the country over the past few weeks.
On Tuesday, people in various rural areas of Victoria were told to evacuate or take shelter as gusty winds fanned "very challenging" bushfires.
About 650 firefighters battled fires across 17,000 hectares, officials in Victoria said, although rains later in the day dampened the flames.
The wet weather led to a flood evacuation warning Wednesday for parts of several rural neighbourhoods about 160 kilometres east of Melbourne.
After several wet years, experts are expecting the coming Australian summer to bring the most intense bushfire season since 2019-2020. — AFP
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