‘Not safe to move’: Fire threats intensify in Australia

SYDNEY (AP):

A father and son who were battling flames for two days are the latest victims of the worst wildfire season in Australian history, and the path of destruction widened in at least three states yesterday due to strong winds and high temperatures.

The death toll in the wildfire crisis is now up to 23 people, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said after calling up about 3,000 reservists to battle the escalating fires, which are expected to be particularly fierce throughout the weekend.

“We are facing another extremely difficult next 24 hours,” Morrison said during a televised news conference. “In recent times, particularly over the course of the balance of this week, we have seen this disaster escalate to an entirely new level.”

Dick Lang, a 78-year-old acclaimed bush pilot and outback safari operator, and his 43-year-old son, Clayton, were identified by Australian authorities after their bodies were found Saturday on a highway on Kangaroo Island. Their family said their losses left them “heartbroken and reeling from this double tragedy”.

Lang, known as ‘Desert Dick’, led tours for travellers throughout Australia and other countries. “He loved the bush, he loved adventure and he loved Kangaroo Island,” his family said.

Clayton Lang, one of Dick’s four sons, was a renowned plastic surgeon who specialised in hand surgery.