Australian bush fire burns area the size of Singapore
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SYDNEY - Australian firefighters said on Dec 27 that they were fighting to control a bush fire racing through a national park that has consumed an area the size of Singapore.
The eastern state of Victoria has faced extreme fire conditions in the past week evacuations in dozens of rural communities
The largest fire has now burned 74,000ha of the Grampians National Park – roughly the size of 100,000 football fields – located 240km west of Melbourne, State Control Centre spokesman Luke Hegarty said. “We’re talking about the fire that’s roughly the size of Singapore,” he told Australian national broadcaster ABC.
Fire conditions were easing, but it would still take time to control the Grampians blaze, which has a perimeter of more than 360km, he said.
“That means we need to have walked or driven or flown the entire fire perimeter to be certain that we’ve got it under control, and that’s no easy task.”
No deaths have been reported nor homes lost, the authorities said. AFP
