Australia Faces Third Day of Massive Wildfires Amid 40-Degree Heatwave

In Victoria, Australia, where temperatures have soared above 40 degrees Celsius, large-scale wildfires have been spreading for the third consecutive day.

Victoria, Australia Wildfires. Yonhap News

According to foreign media reports on January 9 (local time), wildfires have been raging in southeastern Victoria since January 7, resulting in two adults and one child going missing in the village of Longwood.

The Victoria state authorities announced that as of today, they are battling wildfires at 30 locations, and the statewide fire danger rating has reached the highest level, classified as "catastrophic." In the northern region of Victoria, temperatures are expected to reach up to 46 degrees Celsius, and strong winds are also forecast, raising concerns that the ongoing wildfires could become uncontrollable.

The wildfire near Longwood has burned 35,000 hectares of forest (1 hectare equals 10,000 square meters), and another 20,000 hectares, including pine plantations, have been destroyed near the village of Walwa.

In February 2024, Victoria also experienced large-scale wildfires, forcing more than 30,000 people to evacuate.

Previously, Australia suffered its worst wildfire season, known as "Black Summer," from 2019 to 2020, which lasted more than six months. At that time, 186,000 square kilometers of forest and other land were burned, and 33 people lost their lives.