Published 14:20 IST, January 10th 2020
Australia: 60 sled dogs evacuated from bushfire damaged area by Army trucks
The Australian man Brett Hadden who had refused to evacuate from bushfire area until his 60 Husky sled dogs can also be evacuated were finally rescued.
The Australian man Brett Hadden who had refused to evacuate from bushfire area until his 60 Husky sled dogs could also be evacuated were finally rescued and evacuated with the help of army trucks. The dogs were loaded onto the back of the trucks and driven out of the danger zone.
Dogs evacuated via Army Trucks
While speaking to an international media outlet, Hadden said that he would love to evacuate, but he can not just abandon his dogs after working with them for so many years. Hadden and his huskies fled their property at Cobunga over the weekend to shelter at the showgrounds in Omeo. He further also explained how the fire front swept through the region over the weekend but thankfully his home is still standing.
The Chinook helicopters that were used to rescue people were not fitted to carry animals and therefore Brett Hadden and his 60 dogs were stranded in a Victorian fire zone. In a Facebook post, Brett wrote about how soldier Tevis had arrived by Army Trucks in order to evacuate them.
New Warning issued
The Australian authorities on January 9 issued new warnings and evacuation notices across the country as a return of hot weather fanned bush fires and threatened several towns and communities. According to international media reports, a disaster notice in Victoria state was extended by two days and people in danger zone were further told to leave. The authorities in New South Wales have also informed residents to prepare for worsening weather conditions on January 10.
While speaking to an international media outlet the Victoria Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville said that the fires are still moving, still growing and they further pose a significant risk to communities. The Australian fires have already left thousands of people homeless and thousands of others had to evacuate repeatedly. According to reports the fires have scorched through more than 10.3 million hectares of land.
(with inputs from agencies)
Updated 14:20 IST, January 10th 2020