Australia fires: military reservists called in as tens of thousands flee inferno

Since late September, more than 20 people have died, more than 1,500 homes have been damaged and an area roughly twice the size of Belgium or Hawaii has burned

The latest fatalities came on Kangaroo Island – a tourist haven off the coast southwest of Adelaide – when two people were trapped in a car overrun by flames

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Firefighters tackle a bush fire in thick smoke in the town of Moruya, south of Batemans Bay in New South Wales. Photo: AFP

Published: 12:32pm, 4 Jan 2020Updated: 11:16pm, 4 Jan 2020

Skies turned black and ash rained down as fires raged across southeastern Australia on Saturday, threatening power supplies to major cities and prompting the call-up of 3,000 military reservists.

Temperature records were smashed, and gale-force winds pounded fire-stricken coastal communities in the two most populous states of New South Wales and Victoria.

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian warned that worst-case scenario projections were “coming to fruition”, although large-scale evacuations meant the human toll was minimised.

Since late September, 23 people have died, more than 1,500 homes have been damaged and an area roughly twice the size of Belgium or Hawaii has burned.

The latest fatalities were in Kangaroo Island – a tourist haven southwest of Adelaide – when two people were trapped in a car overrun by flames on Friday.

But strong winds and high temperatures continued to fuel hundreds of fires and cause chaos.