Thousands swarmed to beaches on Australia's east coast on Tuesday to escape fierce wildfires bearing down on several seaside towns, as the government readied naval vessels and military helicopters to aid firefighting and evacuations. About 4,000 people in the town of Mallacoota in Victoria headed to the waterfront after the main road was cut off. Ellie Morello took refuge at a beachside motel with her mother, some neighbours, friends at pets as fires approached Batemans Bay, a town on the New South Wales coast. Bushfires burned on the outskirts of Sydney, cloaking the harbour city in smoke ahead of a New Year's Eve fireworks display. Authorities allowed the display to go ahead, despite some public calls for cancellation in solidarity with fire-hit areas in the state.

Source: The Hindu December 31, 2019 20:15 UTC