MELBOURNE/SYDNEY: Firefighters kept wild blazes fueled by strong winds and soaring temperatures from reaching suburban areas of Australia’s capital, Canberra, using airdrops of fire retardant to create a 2.5-kilometre (1.55-mile) long defensive line late on Saturday. Three drops of the pink retardant created the line along the bottom of a mountain south of Canberra, authorities said, with further drops planned for Sunday. Fire crews had so far been able to save all structures in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), home to Canberra, authorities said. “This has been a good firefighting day for us, in terms of protecting our cultural assets and critical infrastructure,” ACT Emergency Services Agency Commissioner Georgeina Whelan said on Saturday evening. Some fires were generating their own weather patterns, including thunderstorms, in Australia’s southeast, authorities said.

Source: Pakistan Today February 01, 2020 11:26 UTC