Australia bushfires

The Fire, The Virus, The Violence: Australia And The Lessons Of Natural Disasters

3:28pm July 07, 2020

Family violence increases in places that have been severely burned in bushfires, Australian research finds. The isolation and financial stress of COVID-19 appear to be exacerbating the problem.

A firefighter coats a bridge with foam as a bushfire burns near Moruya, New South Wales, Australia, on Jan. 25. Wildfires destroyed more than 3,000 homes and razed more nearly 11 million hectares since the summer fires began.

All Bushfires Extinguished In Australia's Hardest-Hit New South Wales, Officials Say

5:31pm March 02, 2020

by Vanessa Romo

It's the first time since July that the state has been fire-free. "That's more than 240 days of fire activity" across the country's most populous state, New South Wales Rural Fire Service said.

A tank of water sits outside Milbourne's home.

Sell Or Stay? Australia's Fire Zone Experiment

11:33am February 25, 2020

After deadly 2009 wildfires, authorities offered to buy property to encourage people to move. Few accepted. The questions raised by Australia's experience are freshly urgent after its latest fires.

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Bushfires followed by intense rain can cause unsettled sediment and debris to contaminate local water reservoirs. Melbourne's water authority invested in catchments to combat this threat, though scientists are still trying to understand when and how these

Science

With Australia's Hillsides Stripped Bare By Fire, Scientists Rush To Predict Mudflows

9:00am February 10, 2020

Heavy rains in eastern Australia are causing mudslides and debris flows in areas that burned. Scientists are trying to predict when and where slides are likely to happen.

An air tanker operated by Canada-based Coulson Aviation drops fire retardant on the Morton Fire burning in bushland close to homes at Penrose, south of Sydney, earlier this month.

World News

Tanker Plane Fighting Australia's Bushfires Crashes, Killing U.S. Crew Of 3

9:32pm January 23, 2020

by Scott Neuman

The crash occurred south of the capital, Canberra, as Australia continues battling massive fires that have scorched a Pennsylvania-size section of the country.

Tourists, wearing face masks due to heavy smoke, take a selfie at Sydney Harbour on Dec. 19, 2019. As news of Australia's wildfires spreads around the world, fewer tourists are arriving in the country.

World News

Australia's Massive Fires Threaten To Slow Decades-Long Economic Boom

8:52am January 12, 2020

by Jim Zarroli

Australia hasn't had a recession in nearly 30 years, an impressive track record for an industrialized county. But the fires threaten two pillars of the country's economy.

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A New South Wales Rural Fire Service large air tanker drops fire retardant on the Morton Fire burning in bushland close to homes at Penrose, south of Sydney, on Friday.

World News

Enormous 'Megafire' In Australia Engulfs 1.5 Million Acres

8:54am January 10, 2020

by Scott Neuman

Two fires have merged into a single blaze more than three times as big as California's largest-ever known fire. A quarter of a million people have been urged to evacuate towns south of Sydney.

Firefighters struggle to protect homes from the embers generated by bushfires near the town of Nowra in New South Wales, Australia.

Australian Fires Prompt Questions About Protecting Houses From Embers

4:21pm January 07, 2020

by Rebecca Hersher

Massive Australian wildfires are sending embers high into the atmosphere. When they rain down, they can start new fires far from the original source, and some buildings are more flammable than others.

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Property damaged by the East Gippsland fires in Sarsfield, Victoria, on New Year's Day.

World News

Australians Brace For Flames As 'Frighteningly Quick' Bushfires Advance Toward Sydney

10:57pm January 03, 2020

by Nicole Werbeck

Authorities have warned of worsening conditions over the weekend, while the deputy fire commissioner for New South Wales cautions people of the fires' "frighteningly quick" advance.

Fire response crews monitor the blazes Thursday in East Gippsland, Australia, where deadly bushfires have destroyed properties and prompted warnings from local authorities.

Bushfires In Australia May Get Even Worse With 'Horrible Day' On Horizon

3:47pm January 02, 2020

by Colin Dwyer

Meteorologists are predicting "extreme" conditions for Saturday in New South Wales and Victoria, which have been wracked with deadly fires.