Raging wildfires trap 4,000 at waterfront in Australia

PERTH, Australia (AP) — Wildfires burning across Australia’s two most populous states on Tuesday trapped residents of a seaside town in apocalyptic conditions, destroyed many properties and caused at least two fatalities.

About five million hectares of land have burned nationwide during the wildfire crisis, with 12 people confirmed dead and more than 1,000 homes destroyed.

The annual Australian fire season, which peaks during the Southern Hemisphere summer, started early after an unusually warm and dry winter.

Record-breaking heat and windy conditions triggered wildfires in New South Wales and Queensland states in September. 

In the southeastern town of Mallacoota in Victoria state, around 4,000 residents fled toward the waterside as winds pushed an emergency-level wildfire toward their homes.

The town was shrouded in darkness from the smoke before turning an unnerving shade of bright red.

Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews said there were plans to evacuate the trapped people by sea.

There also were grave fears for four people missing. “We can’t confirm their whereabouts,” Andrews told reporters on Tuesday.

Andrews has requested assistance from 70 firefighters from the United States and Canada. 

Victoria Emergency Services Commissioner Andrew Crisp confirmed “significant” property losses across the region.

Fire conditions worsened in Victoria and New South Wales after oppressive heat Monday mixed with strong winds and lightning.

Police in New South Wales said Tuesday that two men, believed to be father and son, died in a house in the wildfire-ravaged southeast town of Cobargo, while there are fears for another man missing.