Australian fire crews celebrate as rain brings relief in battle against raging blazes

Aftermath: Puddles from the rain can be seen behind burnt letter boxes in a street in Quaama in Australia's New South Wales
Leongatha Fire Brigade
Michael Howie6 January 2020

Rain and cooler temperatures brought welcome relief to fire-ravaged communities today as the country’s embattled leader pledged £1 billion to help the disaster effort.

Two more people were reported missing in remote parts of New South Wales (NSW) as more than 135 bushfires continued to burn across the country’s most populous state, 70 of which were uncontained.

Australia’s capital, Canberra, had the worst air quality of any major city in the world this morning owing to smoke from nearby fires.

The department of home affairs, which is responsible for co-ordinating the response to disasters, told all non-critical staff to stay at home because of the abysmal air quality.

But the change in weather after the weekend’s searing temperatures provided some respite, with no emergency fire warnings reported today. It meant that vital supplies could be taken to affected areas.

Crews monitor fires between the towns of Orbost and Lakes Entrance
Getty Images

The Australian army sent aid, personnel and vehicles to Kangaroo Island off the coast of Adelaide, where two people were killed last week.

Fire crews were attempting to complete strategic burns in preparation for higher temperatures forecast for later in the week.

The wildfires, which began in September, have so far scorched an area roughly the size of Croatia, killing at least 24 people and destroying some 2,000 homes.

“With the more benign weather conditions it presents some wonderful relief for everybody, the firefighters, the emergency services personnel, but also the communities affected by these fires,” Shane Fitzsimmons, the Commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service, told reporters.

Australian Wildfires blankets Sydney skyline in haze

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“But it also presents some real challenges when it comes to implementing tactical and strategic back-burns and other techniques to try and bring these fires under control.”

NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian said there was no room for complacency.

“Unfortunately, overnight, it’s become apparent that we have two people unaccounted for in New South Wales,” she said.

A smoldering log is pictured in the Wingello State Forest
Getty Images

The Rural Fire Service warned that the rain would not put out the largest and most dangerous blazes before conditions deteriorated again this week.

The fires have become a public relations disaster for Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who today announced an extra AU $2 billion toward the recovery effort.

He announced on Saturday he would send 3,000 army, navy and air force reservists to help battle the fires.

He also committed £10 million to lease firefighting aircraft from overseas.

But the moves did little to stop criticism that he was slow to act.

He has downplayed the need for his government to address climate change, which experts say helps supercharge the blazes.

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