Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New South Wales Premier Chris Minns have travelled to the fire-affected Bega Valley on the state’s south coast after a huge blaze burned through hectares of bushland and destroyed three homes.
Mr Minns extended a heartfelt thankyou to the 800 firefighters and emergency service workers who laboured through the night to save many regional communities in the area.
Mr Minns also issued a sombre warning to NSW residents, urging communities to be prepared for a"horror summer"."Multiple days above 30 degrees, high winds. Bushfires love this environment, and it is devastating for regional communities in particular." The fast-moving blaze travelled 15 kilometers in just three hours at one point and was described by RFS Commissioner Rob Rogers as"terrifyingly deadly".
"This must be an incredibly traumatic experience, we are standing here, we can smell, we can see the impact that these fires are having," Mr Albanese told reporters. The Labor leader was also asked to reflect on an incident which occurred in the nearby town of Cobargo during the Black Summer fires where his predecessor Scott Morrison was heckled by fire victims.
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