New South Wales declare state of emergency following bushfires

Australia is currently reeling following bushfires and the state of New South Wales have now declared a week-long state of emergency in response.

The threat of bushfires is ever-growing and has forced the state into making the decision, which comes into place on 08:00am on 3/1/2020 Australian time.

The state has done so on the basis of a) what has already happened thus far and b) because of the strong winds and high temperatures that are forecast for the coming weekend, which they have stated will lead to “widespread extreme fire danger.”

Australia as a country have broken their record for the hottest day on record twice over the last few weeks and since September, 18 people have died from bushfires, while over 1200 homes have been ruined across both Victoria and New South Wales.

The threat is getting more and more severe and there are at least 17 people who are currently missing from the bushfires that have emerged from this week alone.

The threat has seen thousands of people flee New South Wales, which in itself is a tourist hotbed, as supplies are running dangerously low in areas that are not centrally located.

The state of emergency will enable local authorities to evacuate people, close roads and tie up any other loose ends that are needed in order to provide safety for the residents.

Speaking about the state of emergency called in relation to the bushfires, Gladys Berejiklian, New South Wales Premier, said that it wasn’t a decision that was made easily, but the safety of people is at the forefront of their thinking given the challenging and dangerous circumstances.

“We don’t take these decisions lightly but we also want to make sure we’re taking every single precaution to be prepared for what could be a horrible day on Saturday,” Berejiklian commented.