Wildfires wreak havoc in Australia, people ordered to leave the city; roads also closed

Sydney (The Uttam Hindu): A major wildfire raging in southern Western Australia is now impacting transportation. Roads in the area have been closed due to the fire, and nearby towns have been ordered to evacuate. Preparations for this were made in advance, assessing the situation.

Western Australia's Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) issued an alert on Friday morning saying the fire in Fitzgerald River National Park, 420 kilometres south-east of Perth on the state's south coast, was threatening lives and homes.

Residents and visitors to several nearby towns, including Ravensthorpe, with a population of around 2,000, have been ordered to evacuate if the path is clear. "You are in danger and need to take immediate action to escape," the DFES alert said.

Those who choose to stay have been advised to stay indoors due to the risk of extreme heat. The fire was started by lightning in the national park on January 16 and by Friday morning had burned more than 60,000 hectares.

A main highway west of Ravensthorpe has been closed, and an evacuation centre has been opened in the town of Newdegate to the north. The Fitzgerald River National Park bushfire was one of four major fires burning across southwest Australia on Friday morning.

Evacuation orders have been issued for approximately 1,500 people in four small towns about 120 kilometers southeast of Perth. The wildfire is spreading out of control and moving northeast.

A low-level emergency warning has been issued for the fires near the Dun Rock Nature Reserve, 60 kilometers north of Fitzgerald River National Park, and near the small town of Green Range, 130 kilometers southwest of the national park, Xinhua reported. Residents living in both fire warning areas have been asked to monitor the situation and consider evacuating immediately.