Australia Alert to Mega – Fires as Summer Nears

CANBERRA (Reuters) – An Australian state introduced on Monday a “mega-fire” alert level that will warn people to flee approaching wildfires and leave homes undefended as unseasonal winter bushfires point to a searing summer ahead.

Fearing a repeat of “Black Saturday” infernos in February which killed 173 people and destroyed thousands of homes, authorities in Victoria state said they would introduce a new system of alerts warning of huge uncontrollable blazes.

“Black Saturday re-wrote the book on fire fighting and planning, and it is crucial that we learn the lessons from the worst natural disaster in our nation’s history,” Victoria state Premier John Brumby told reporters.

Mega-fires form when several fires join up in a huge front, creating their own weather systems with hurricane strength winds driving storms of burning embers and walls of flame.

NY Times