Australians on SE coast urged to flee as fire risk escalates

Residents in the path of wildfires razing southeast Australia were urged to evacuate on Jan. 9 if they don't intend to defend their homes as hot and windy conditions are forecast to escalate the danger over the next two days.

The Rural Fire Service in New South Wales state has told fire-weary community meetings south of Sydney in the coastal towns of Nowra, Narooma and Batemans Bay that northwesterly winds were likely to once again drive blazes toward the coast.

Vacationers have retreated to beaches and into the ocean in the area in recent weeks as destructive fires and choking smoke have encroached on the tourist towns, scorching sand dunes in some places.

In neighboring Victoria state, fire-threatened populations were urged to act quickly on evacuation warnings.
"We can't guarantee your safety and we don't want to be putting emergency services whether it be volunteers or paid staff we do not want to put them in harm's way because people didn't follow advice that was given,'' Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said.

Temperatures in the threatened area were expected to reach into the mid-40s Celsius (more than 110 degrees Fahrenheit) on Jan. 10, and conditions remained tinder dry.

"If you can get out, you should get out,'' said Andrew Crisp, Victoria's emergency management commissioner. "Because tomorrow is going to be a dangerous and dynamic day.''

The unprecedented fire crisis in southeast Australia that has claimed at least 26 lives since September, destroyed more than 2,000 homes and scorched an area twice the size of the U.S. state of Maryland has focused many Australians on how the nation adapts to climate change.

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