while scores of fires are burning out of
control across Australia amid a heat
wave which has seen temperatures exceed
40 Celsius in every state officials are
predicting a day of extreme danger with
rising temperatures combined with
thunderstorms and a change of wind
direction just have a look at East
Gippsland this is in the state of
Victoria the authorities warning here
it's actually too late now for people
threatened by bush fires even to get out
of the area 24 hours ago tens of
thousands of residents and tourists were
told to leave because the conditions
were getting worse the fires are now
encroaching on the major roads if we
have a look in neighboring New South
Wales as well conditions here expected
to deteriorate as the pictures that
we've got from the Rural Fire Service
helped to indicate a hundred fires
burning away more than 40 of them are
uncontained Briony Soudan has this an
unprecedented step an unprecedented
bushfire conditions as emergency level
blazes flare across Victoria state tens
of thousands of holidaymakers are told
to get out this is a high-risk day for
Victoria this is a day we do not often
see our state is dry it is going to be
very hot it is going to be very very
windy people get out now if you don't
you've got to stay across the conditions
and listen to those warnings through the
day temperatures above 40 degrees and
changes in wind direction are pushing
destructive bush fires closer to towns
and homes and already dry tinderbox
conditions victorian authorities are
most concerned about two out-of-control
bush fires which have merged in popular
to a spot east gippsland the blaze is
within a few kilometers of the only
highway into and out of the area and
there are fears that road could be cut
off hot and windy and there's a lot of
smoke about a lot of fires still going
so I'm best off cap and Danny until it's
all over I think so we will prefer to be
safe and if we got stuck here will be a
big problem for us a warm front has
pushed mercury levels above 40 across
southeastern Australia with fire
warnings stretching from
West to South Australia and into
Tasmania the biggest Blazers are raging
in New South Wales where two mega
Blazers have no encircle - the country's
most populated cities Sydney in the Blue
Mountains flames up to 40 meters high
tore through bill burn leaving a trail
of devastation it escaped from the fire
thankfully it wasn't burnt the bush
fires have had catastrophic impact on
wildlife and their habitats some experts
estimate up to half a billion animals
may have perished in the flames all four
paws are burnt her nose has been burnt
for years a both burnt all of that I'm
okay with I mean I'm sure she's not okay
but she was on pain meds so she's okay
with it
my biggest concern is the eyes the eye
closest to marry her Wi-Fi in New South
Wales the warm weather is forecast to
peak on New Year's Eve with some relief
expected on Wednesday brian is out on
BBC news well the focus around different
states can switch if not hour by hour
certainly day by day and I'm joined now
by Andrew stark who's the deputy chief
officer of the South Australia country
Fire Service thanks very much indeed for
sparing some time for us what is your
concern about the next period the next
day or two it's certainly they're our
largest concern down here in South
Australia is a number of fires occurring
on Kangaroo Island which is just a short
distance off the coast near our capital
city Adelaide we've got two very large
fires there that are continuing to
threaten lives and property this evening
but we've had over 150 for fires across
South Australia today and our crews work
very hard under these extreme fire
conditions temperatures over 40 degrees
winds x gusting over 50 kilometres an
hour has been very different conditions
but people have worked very hard well
and they've been working hard and reven
they for it seems like forever I guess
for your staff oh how seriously how do
they cope with that how do you manage
that sort of issue oh yes look this is a
been a very long season already our
firefighters commenced in in August
assisting in two Queensland into New
South Wales and though we now find
ourselves in the middle of the fire
season here in South Australia and until
we get some relieving rain across
Southeast Australia we'd expect these
conditions to continue for many months
so it's it's certainly gone beyond a
marathon its we're now in an
ultramarathon in terms of firefighting
across Southeast Australia this summer
and what do you say and do to those who
when told to get out prefer to stay and
sort of fight for their properties as it
were what is your message to them look
under some forecast under some
conditions people whoever planned that
have well prepared their property can
stay stay and defend those properties
but certainly when we see catastrophic
fire conditions like we've seen across
South Australia and into Victoria today
in into New South Wales tomorrow that
the safest place to be is not in an area
that's bushfire prone to be well away
from those areas and we've seen people
responding to that messaging right
across South Australian Victoria and we
do expect to see people moving out of
high-risk areas in yourself well
tomorrow very briefly I mean the
pictures we've never seen the like of I
think that perhaps that better than
we've had before in terms of access to
the fires have you ever seen conditions
as bad as this before look it's always
very hard to judge you know one season
to another and Australia's had some some
very challenging fire seasons and indeed
in my career I've seen some very
challenging fires but you know there are
firefighters right across our state are
doing a tremendous job under really
challenging and really at times very
dangerous conditions so we're pleased
with the way the community is responded
to our advice and our messaging but as I
said summers got a long way to go here
really well Andrew thanks very much
Andrew Stark from South Australia
country far service and best of luck to
you thank you