A state of emergency has been declared in the state of Victoria in southeastern Australia due to large-scale forest fires.
Elchi.az reports this with reference to foreign media.
The fires, which started earlier in the week, have so far covered more than 300,000 hectares of forest. Officials said 10 major forest fires are still out of control.
The most serious fires were mainly recorded in sparsely populated rural areas. The densely forested area near the town of Longwood, about 112 kilometers north of Melbourne, is one of the most affected areas. Here, the fire covered an area of 150,000 hectares.
Emergency Management Commissioner Tim Wiebusch said that at least 130 objects across the state, including houses, warehouses and other buildings, were completely destroyed. The fires occurred during a heat wave in the state when temperatures exceeded 40 degrees.
Hundreds of firefighters from various regions of the country have been involved to prevent the spread of the fire. As a result of the fires, approximately 38,000 homes and businesses have lost power.