Australia Wildfires Burn Nearly 900,000 Acres

New York Times - WorldCenter-LeftEN 2 min read 100% complete by Yan ZhuangJanuary 11, 2026 at 08:02 AM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

Wildfires in Victoria, Australia, have burned nearly 900,000 acres since last week, resulting in at least one death and the destruction of hundreds of structures, including dozens of homes. The fires, sparked primarily by lightning strikes during a severe heat wave with record-breaking temperatures, began last Thursday. As of Sunday, over 30 wildfires were burning across the state, including areas near Longwood, Great Otway National Park, and towns north of Melbourne. While the heat wave eased on Sunday, warm and windy conditions persist, maintaining a total fire ban across Victoria as firefighters continue to battle the blazes.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Harcourt 30% Great Otway National Park 30% Victoria Police 40% New South Wales 50% Tim Wiebusch 50% Black Summer fires 60% Melbourne ×260% Longwood ×360% Jacinta Allan ×270% Australia ×280% Victoria ×790%

Keywords

wildfires 100% australia 90% victoria 80% heat wave 70% structures destroyed 60% fire conditions 60% lightning strikes 50% firefighters 50% black summer fires 40%