Victoria fires: Firefighter pours water on koala struggling in heat
A shocking but heartwarming photo has emerged of a firefighter providing cool relief to a koala battling raging fires in Victoria.
Raging fires have destroyed nearly 350,000 hectares of land in Victoria in a matter of days, causing significant damage to dozens of towns and destroying more than 300 structures.
Forest fires also affected thousands of animals; firefighters helped wild animals and livestock.
In one of the photos, a gentle firefighter from Benalla Fire Brigade can be seen pouring a bottle of water over the head of a koala as it takes shelter in a tree, where smoke can be seen filling the sky in the background.
Residents have been warned that a cool change on Sunday will not necessarily bring relief to parts of Victoria devastated by bushfires, with erratic winds expected to complicate firefighting efforts.
Thousands of residents are currently affected by 15 emergency alerts related to three fires raging in different parts of the state.
Victorians are being warned they are not out of the woods yet, although a drop in temperature has slowed the spread of fires “for now”.
“Strong south-westerly winds may cause the situation to change at any time,” the Vic Emergency alert reads.
A WA contingent of 20 firefighters, a task force leader and a 17-member incident management team flew out from Perth early on Sunday morning for a seven-day mission to assist Victorian crews.
They were responding to an SOS request from Emergency Management Victoria.
Emergency Services Minister Paul Papalia said WA was ready and able to help.
“Victorians are in danger and West Australians are stepping forward to help. It’s really encouraging,” he said.
“These people are the best of Western Australians who have stepped forward without notice to go to the other side of the country to help their fellow citizens and women in times of need.”
A Total Fire Ban was declared in Victoria’s North East and North Central regions on Monday as firefighters continued to battle significant fires in the region despite milder conditions.
More than 300 buildings were lost in Victoria, 150 in the Longwood fire alone.
47 homes and three businesses were lost in Ravenswood and Harcourt, while 30 homes and 40 shacks were destroyed by flames in Natimuk.
