Residents of several towns in Australia’s state of Victoria have been ordered to evacuate due to nearby bushfires.
Authorities in the southeastern state issued emergency warnings for several communities in the state’s west and southwest due to out-of-control fires.
The Country Fire Authority of the second-most populous state told people that leaving now is the safest option, as conditions may change and quickly get worse.
The authority said it may not be able to help people if they decide to stay. The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast high, extreme, or catastrophic fire danger for much of southern and eastern Australia for today.