Photos| Declaring a state of disaster in southeastern Australia due to forest fires

Australia announced on Saturday A state of disaster in the southeast of the country as a result of forest fires that destroyed homes and vast areas of forest in rural areas.

The state of Victoria (its capital, Melbourne) witnessed a severe heat wave, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, and hot winds contributed to creating conditions conducive to the outbreak of forest fires, as happened during "Black summer" At the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020 in the same region.

One of the worst Forest fireshave destroyed about 150,000 hectares near the town of Longwood, an area covered by indigenous forests.

The state of disaster declared by Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan on Saturday gives firefighters the powers to carry out emergency evacuations.

Allan pointed out that the goal is "Protecting the lives of Victorians". She added "This sends a clear message: If you are asked to leave, leave!" State fires.

Victoria state emergency manager Tim Weybush said that at least 130 structures, including homes, shacks and other buildings, had been destroyed in the state.

He reported that 10 major fires were still burning, and many more may continue. "For days, or even weeks"

The worst fires so far have been confined to sparsely populated rural areas, where the number of residents does not exceed a few hundred.

Hundreds of firefighters from various parts of the country were mobilized to fight the fires.

Researchers reported that climate warming in Australia has increased at a rate of 1.51 degrees Celsius since 1910, fueling extreme weather patterns that are becoming more frequent on land and at sea.