SYNDEY: Thousands of tourists have been given less than 48 hours to evacuate fire-ravaged coastal communities as Australia braces for a weekend heatwave expected to fan deadly bushfires. The last deaths raise the toll to at least 18 in one of Australia’s most devastating bushfire seasons yet. NSW Rural Fire Service deputy commissioner Rob Rogers said firefighters were unable to extinguish or even control the raging blazes. “We’re happy to see every man and his dog leave town,” he said. “Today it’s starting to move potentially the tourists in Mallacoota, and residents who may not want to be there,” he said.

Source: Manila Times January 02, 2020 03:11 UTC