SYDNEY – Australian officials declared a state of emergency for the capital city of Canberra and surrounding regions on Friday.
Andrew Barr, Chief Minister for the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), said the decision to declare the first state of emergency since fatal wildfires in 2003 indicated the potential danger over the weekend.
The state of emergency will run for 72 hours.
Australia has been battling bushfires across its east coast that killed 33 people and an estimated one-billion native animals since September. Around 2,500 homes have been destroyed as over 11.7-million hectares (117,000 sq. km) have been razed.(Reuters)
