A state of disaster has been declared in Australia due to large-scale bushfires near Melbourne

On Saturday, January 10, a state of disaster was declared in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria. Premier Jacinta Allan signed the corresponding declaration, covering 18 municipalities and a ski resort, due to three extreme-level bushfires. This was reported by Bloomberg, writes UNN.

Details

The declaration of a state of disaster grants the government expanded powers: authorities can forcibly evacuate the population, restrict movement in the region, and requisition private property to fight the fire. According to Jacinta Allan, the fires are spreading too quickly, making the protection of human lives the number one priority.

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Currently, three people - a man, a woman, and a child - are considered missing. Although the peak of the heat in Victoria has begun to subside, the situation remains critical due to the prolonged drought that lasted for most of 2025.

Climate situation in Australia

While firefighters are battling fires in the southeast, other regions of the country are suffering from opposite natural anomalies:

• New South Wales - the hottest day in years was recorded in Sydney's suburbs.

• Queensland - flood warnings have been issued due to an approaching tropical cyclone from the Coral Sea.

Victoria is one of the most fire-prone regions in the world. The scale of the current disaster is already being compared to the tragic events of "Black Saturday" in 2009. Scientists note that smoke from Australian fires this season has already reached the shores of Argentina, indicating the global scale of the environmental catastrophe. 

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