Wildfires Ignite in Australia Amid Heatwave

The extent of a wildfire in the Australian state of Victoria has increased more than threefold since last night, prompting authorities to urge residents in a remote area of Tasmania to evacuate, as a heatwave escalates the fires burning in the southeast of the country. Jason Heffernan, the chief officer of the Victoria Rural Fire Service, stated, "We have deployed response teams in the early hours of Tuesday morning." He added, "It is a very large fire spreading across a vast area... It is extremely difficult as it is burning on private properties and also in some pine plantations." According to Victoria's firefighting authorities, which have deployed around 650 firefighters, the blaze has consumed approximately 17,000 hectares (66 square miles) today in the eastern part of the Gippsland region of Victoria, as strong winds contributed to the spread of the flames overnight.