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| Australia issues top fire alert | |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Officials in Australia have issued a new level of "catastrophic" fire warning for the first time, during a heatwave in the south of the country. | |
| The new level of warning, which urges people to evacuate, was created after wildfires killed 173 people in Victoria earlier this year. | |
| It replaces a policy that allowed residents to stay put and fight fires. | It replaces a policy that allowed residents to stay put and fight fires. |
| Many of the victims in South Victoria died trying to defend their homes from the flames. | Many of the victims in South Victoria died trying to defend their homes from the flames. |
| 'Real test' | 'Real test' |
| Tuesday's Code Red warning was issued in South Australia, where temperatures are forecast to exceed 40C. A November heatwave is unusual in the state, and several days of high temperatures have left the land extremely vulnerable to fire. | Tuesday's Code Red warning was issued in South Australia, where temperatures are forecast to exceed 40C. A November heatwave is unusual in the state, and several days of high temperatures have left the land extremely vulnerable to fire. |
| Residents are being strongly urged to leave their homes because of a high risk of death or destruction, though they cannot be forced to evacuate. | Residents are being strongly urged to leave their homes because of a high risk of death or destruction, though they cannot be forced to evacuate. |
| "To ensure your survival you should leave tonight or early tomorrow morning, well before a fire starts," a fire service warning said. | "To ensure your survival you should leave tonight or early tomorrow morning, well before a fire starts," a fire service warning said. |
| Any fires in the North West Pastoral and Flinders districts would be uncontrollable, it said. | Any fires in the North West Pastoral and Flinders districts would be uncontrollable, it said. |
| "In the next couple of days we are going to see high temperatures, very low humidity and very strong winds," said fire service chief Euan Ferguson. | "In the next couple of days we are going to see high temperatures, very low humidity and very strong winds," said fire service chief Euan Ferguson. |
| "This is the first real test for the summer." | "This is the first real test for the summer." |
| An inquiry into February's fires in Victoria found that 113 people were killed sheltering in their houses. | An inquiry into February's fires in Victoria found that 113 people were killed sheltering in their houses. |
| They became known as the Black Saturday bushfires, after the worst day on which 2,000 properties were destroyed in 78 communities. | They became known as the Black Saturday bushfires, after the worst day on which 2,000 properties were destroyed in 78 communities. |