'Hectic' bushfires threaten rural towns in Australian heatwaveListen to this articleFirefighters warned millions of Australians of "catastrophic" bushfire dangers as they battled multiple blazes stoked by a heatwave blanketing the country. (Photo: AFP)SYDNEY - Bushfires threatened dozens of rural towns in southeast Australia on Friday, firefighters said as hot winds fanned "hectic" conditions in the tinder-dry countryside. Dozens of rural hamlets in the state of Victoria were urged to evacuate while they still could. The worst bushfires have so far hit sparsely populated rural areas where towns might number a few hundred people at the most. Another bushfire near the small town of Walwa crackled with lightning as it radiated enough heat to form a localised thunder storm, fire authorities said.

Source: Bangkok Post January 09, 2026 15:05 UTC