Wildfires raging across Australia have prompted one of the largest evacuations in the country’s history as what is already the worst season on record is likely to become even more devastating due to hot weather and strong winds.
More than 200 fires were burning, and warnings of extreme danger to come Saturday prompted mass evacuations. Traffic was gridlocked as people fled and firefighters escorted convoys of evacuees as fires threatened to close roads. Navy ships were called in to pluck hundreds of people stranded on beaches.
Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews declared a disaster across much of the eastern part of the state, allowing the government to order evacuations in an area with as many as 140,000 permanent residents and tens of thousands more vacationers.
“If you can leave, you must leave,” Andrews said.
The early and devastating start to Australia’s summer wildfires has already burned about 5 million hectares (12.35 million acres) of land, left at least 19 people dead, and destroyed more than 1,400 homes. That’s more acres burned in Australia than any one year in the U.S. since Harry Truman was president.
In South Australia state, fire officials said the weather conditions were cause for concern because fires were still burning or smoldering.
“The ignition sources are already there,” Country Fire Service chief officer Mark Jones said. “There are millions of sparks out there ready to go if they break containment lines.”
This week, at least 445 homes were destroyed on the New South Wales southern coast and dozens were burned in Victoria. Ten deaths have been confirmed in the two states this week, and Victoria authorities also said 28 people are missing. Fires are also burning in Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania.
The navy evacuated hundreds from Mallacoota, a coastal town in Victoria cut off for days by wildfires that forced as many as 4,000 residents and tourists to shelter on beaches. Landing craft ferried people to the HMAS Choules offshore.
Evacuees waiting to board the ship described smoke and embers flying everywhere when the fires were at their worst.
“It’s just scary waiting,” Dani Barmeister told Channel Nine.
Choules Commander Scott Houlihan said 963 people had signed up for evacuation by sea and more had been airlifted to safety.
In New South Wales, a state of emergency and a total fire ban were in place. State Rural Fire Service deputy commissioner Rob Rogers urged people to not wait to leave, noting four people in the state died in their cars as they made late attempts to flee.
