Wildfires in Australia: death toll rises, fears of “mega blaze”

More than 200 wildfires have ravaged Australia, with the hot and dry weather making it easy for the blazes to start and spread.
The number of people killed in fires across the country has risen to 24 so far, while more than 20 people are still missing in fire-affected regions. A massive damage to wildlife and environment has cost the life of more 500 million animals and their natural habitats.
Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their homes, while vast swathes of the country have been devastated. A large-scale evacuation is now underway, as a small break in fire conditions has been noted.
The fire season, which began on July and hit a record-breaking heatwave in December rising above 40 degrees Celsius, will probably last until February, as the country is entering its summer period, with temperatures expected to rise further.
New South Wales which has been hardest hit and Victorian towns have now reached an advice level with no immediate danger.
However, fires are still burning on the Kangaroo Island in South Australia, while the country’s largest cities such as Melbourne and Sydney have also been affected, with many homes in the outer suburbs damaged by the fires and the urban center covered by thick plumes of smoke.
“This is not a bush fire,” Andrew Constance, the transport minister in New South Wales, told ABC radio. “It’s an atomic bomb,” he added.
On Saturday the Australian PM Scott Morrison, who has faced acute criticism over his government’s inaction, has announced a large-scale use of military assets to get the blazes under control.
The PM has also pledged $2 bn for a National Bushfire Recovery Agency, to “coordinate a national response to rebuild communities and livelihoods”.
Although temperature has dropped due to rainfall in fire-ravaged parts of the country bringing some relief, officials warned that blazes will “take off” again and possibly merge and create a “mega blaze”.