Fires in Australia !!!!!!!

Australia is going through an extreme heat wave that has caused thousands of fires. More than 20 people have died and some 1,500 homes have been destroyed. The coastal town of Mallacoota was one of the worst affected.

The sky reddened and darkened several areas of south-eastern Australia as gusts of wind exacerbated the fire, in one of the country's worst bushfire seasons. Here, a couple of residents of Tabourie Lake, about 200 kilometres south of Sydney, watch as flames devour a forest.

The fires are occurring in areas on the east and south coasts, which is where most people live. These areas include areas around Sydney and Adelaide. An estimated 1,500 homes were destroyed. This car is located in Sarsfield, South Australia.

In New South Wales alone, in South East Australia, 4 million hectares were burned (one hectare is about the size of a sports field). This is more than four times the area that was burned in the Amazon in 2019 (about 900,000 hectares) and in California, USA (800,000 hectares).

A satellite image from Saturday 4 January shows how fires are burning along the coast of Osbrost in Victoria, South Australia.

The fires in Australia, which started in September last year, have already left at least 23 people dead and dozens missing. The country has always had wildfires but this year they are much worse than normal.

The immediate cause of the fires is the climate, a phenomenon known as the Indian Ocean dipole or, also, as the Indian El Niño, which has led to a period of heat and drought. While people can flee from the fires and can be evacuated, the flames are devastating to the wildlife in the affected area.

One of the worst affected areas is the tourist town of Mallacoota in Victoria, about 500km east of Melbourne.

Mallacoota is home to around 1,000 people, but the population increases at Christmas, the time when Australians enjoy their beach holidays. The locals described the fires as a "frightening experience". Many were forced to camp on the docks.

Each state government runs its own emergency operation. Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison promised more funding for firefighters and a payout for volunteer firefighters. He also announced the sending of 3,000 soldiers to fight the flames.