Australia bush fires hit places visit by PM Scott Morrison

High temperatures and unpredictable winds are likely to hit South Australia before reaching Victoria and New South Wales on Friday Firefighters and residents in southeastern Australia are preparing to return dangerous weather conditions on Thursday and Friday. Australia’s bush fire crisis has already burned 8.4 million hectares of land, destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 26 people, including three volunteer firefighters. After milder weather earlier this week, conditions in parts of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia will worsen starting Thursday. Temperatures of 40 ° C and unpredictable winds are expected to sweep through a number of fire zones. In South Australia, Thursday is the day of greatest concern, while NSW and Victoria are likely to have a difficult day on Friday. The Bureau of Meteorology issued an extreme fire hazard on Friday for the Victoria region in the north and a severe hazard for the Mallee and the northeast. The economic impact of bushfires in Australia should exceed Black Saturday’s cost of $ 4.4 billion State emergency minister Lisa Neville urged residents to leave before Friday. No evacuation obligation has been imposed yet, but conditions this week would be “very similar” to the conditions that forced East Gippsland to evacuate on December 29th. “They are similar to the conditions we experienced a week ago on Sunday and for this reason the message is the same as it was then, that is, people should leave these areas at risk of fire. The safest place is outside of these areas and in built-up areas be, ”said Neville. “For those who don’t want to leave, the message is again: be sure to follow the warnings, follow the instructions, sit in your Vic Emergency app, follow your local radio stations and get the latest information. Neville said that all Victorians should be vigilant because dry lightning could cause “fast-moving fires in other parts of Victoria”. The authorities fear that fires in the Alpine region and in East Gippsland could merge during the change. Tom Delamotte of the Bureau of Meteorology said there is a strong chance that strong winds will bring the cool turn. “We may see some gusts from 70 to 80 km / h moving from the west to the southwest.” A spokeswoman for the SA Country Fire Service said that the focus on Thursday will be on the island of Kangaroo, where 160,000 hectares of fire burned. “We will hire additional crews today to prepare for tomorrow,” said the CFS. “Tomorrow, due to the weather, we are concerned with high temperatures and changing winds.” Concern will focus on the west side of the island, where fires are still burning, and the CFS said there were “some outbreaks over there at the moment”.The city of Vivonne Bay on the south coast is evacuated as it is feared that a bushfire could breach security boundaries. Residents are asked to take refuge in either Kingscote or Penneshaw, with accommodation camps being set up. “This is a preventive relocation due to the increased fire risk in the next two days,” said the country fire department. “There is currently no immediate danger to life or property, but this situation is likely to change with increasing wind, warmer weather and fire on Kangaroo Island.” Approximately 75 people live in the city on the south coast and are only allowed to return on Friday when the conditions are likely to relax. It is expected that between 5 mm and 10 mm of rain will fall on Thursday evening. Kangaroo Island is expected to reach a maximum of 38 ° C on Thursday, but a maximum of 21 ° C on Friday. In Victoria, a spokesman for the Country Fire Authority said Friday was “the most important day of concern”. Temperatures of 40 ° C are predicted in the north of the state. Corryong will hit a maximum of 39C and Rutherglen 41C. The Corryong fire, located near the Victoria-NSW border, is a major problem for both states. In NSW, a spokesman for the rural fire department told Guardian Australia that “strong northwest winds and high temperatures will return” on Friday. A late change in the south at the end of Friday will also bring unpredictable conditions to the firing grounds.Albury is forecast on Friday to a maximum of 41 ° C, Tumut to 42 ° C. Wagga Wagga in the Riverina is also forecast for 42 ° C. In Sydney, large parts of the city had over 200 NSW Health air quality index scores while Wollongong reached 458, Goulburn 435 and Albury 456. NSW Minister of Emergency Services David Elliott said Tuesday that despite the difficult day that was forecast on Friday, he hoped this week could be considered “the end of the beginning”. In the past few days, firefighters have made good use of the occasional shower and cooler conditions, he said. “We’re not out of the woods yet – Friday will be another dangerous day because of the heat,” he told reporters in Sydney. “But after a few days with damp and mild weather, the firing grounds will hopefully be a little easier to use. “What you’ll see at the end of this month is the start of the mopping exercises. February is always hot, but with the forecast that it will get wet in March and April, we shouldn’t see too much more expansion.” What we’re going to see is containment. ” On Wednesday, Steven Marshall, Prime Minister of SA, said much of Kangaroo Island was still open for business and unharmed by the fires. “Two and a half thousand flawless square kilometers remain completely untouched,” he said. “So if you want to do the people of Kangaroo Island a favor, book a vacation.” Prime Minister Scott Morrison reiterated his concern, asking people to “pause local tourism companies” instead of canceling the island’s vacation. “If you’ve booked accommodation and are now requesting a refund, can you give them a break?” He said. “It depends at least on when you can expect a refund. These companies have been hit very hard and their cash flow positions will not be able to meet all of the requirements.