Winds, heat pose extreme fire danger in Australian southeast

Hundreds of schools were closed and residents were urged to evacuate woodlands for relative safety of city centers Tuesday as hot, dry and windy wear posed an extreme fire danger across Australia’s most populous state.

New South Wales state is under a weeklong state of emergency, a declaration that gives Rural Fire Service sweeping powers to control resources and direct or government ncies in its efforts to battle fires. worst fires are expected in state’s rast, where three people have died and more than 150 homes have been destroyed since Friday, as well as around Sydney, Australia’s largest city.

Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said 3,000 firefighters were available to fight more than 50 fires blazing across state. fires are expected to worsen as winds are forecast to gust at between 70 kmh (43 mph) and 90 kmh (56 mph) later Tuesday.

“w is time to exercise those decisions to leave, leave early and go to safer locations, safer towns and vills or safer places in your local community, such as shopping centers,” Fitzsimmons told reporters.

“We plan for se sorts of days. But we always hope y never come,” he ded.

More than 600 schools and technical colleges were closed because y are close to woodlands at risk of fire.

Australian fire season, which peaks during Sourn Hemisphere summer, has started early after an unusually warm and dry winter.

More than 1 million hectares (3,800 square miles) of forest and farmland h alrey burned across state this fire season, more than three times 280,000 hectares (1,080 square miles) that burned during entire last season, Fitzsimmons said.