National Fire Toll In Australia Approaching 1,000 Homes Lost; Lithgow & Balmoral NSW Hit Hard
The destruction from Australia’s deadly bushfire crisis is set to top 1000 homes as almost 200 fires continue to burn across the country amid new warnings that the dangerous conditions will continue for another six weeks. As a fire emergency in South Australia claimed the life of Adelaide Hills man Ron Selth, 69, and destroyed 72 homes, the NSW Southern Highlands town of Balmoral was left devastated by a wall of fire.
Thousands of people fled their homes in the Blue Mountains and surrounds as two fires converged to create havoc on Saturday.
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South Australian Premier Steven Marshall said the fires had destroyed homes, livestock and vineyards: “It is a very significant damage bill that we will have as a state. This has been a devastating 48 hours for the people of South Australia.” Adelaide Hills winemakers, including Tilbrook Estates, Vinteloper and Simon Tolley, were devastated by the deadly Cudlee Creek blaze. Victoria also faces an ongoing fire threat, with a large blaze in the Gippsland region burning out of control.
Ms Berejiklian declared Balmoral had been all but wiped out. “We have got the devastating news that there’s not much left in the town of Balmoral,” she said. The 10,000-strong town of Lithgow, west of the Blue Mountains, also came under heavy ember attack on Saturday, with residents armed with garden hoses dousing multiple spot fires that ignited in the centre of town. Several properties were lost.
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https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/bushfires-more-than-1000-homes-set-to-be-destroyed/news-story/0e66264d89a586937539de8965b5685c
