4,000+ Firefighters In Victoria, NSW, Prepare For Windy, Dry Conditions - AFP (12/21)

Thousands of Australian firefighters on Wednesday bolstered the defences of several vulnerable towns, fearing a flare-up of blazes that have raged for nearly three weeks. Some 4,300 firefighters dug fire breaks in Victoria state, the region worst hit this bushfire season, in a bid to protect towns ahead of the forecast arrival of hot, windy conditions on Thursday, authorities said.

The string of blazes that began over a fortnight ago have so far burned out around 7,500 square kilometres of land and claimed 32 houses. Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) spokesman Stuart Ord expected several towns in eastern Victoria would again come under threat when the winds turned northerly on Thursday.

They included the town of Walhalla, which is wedged between a bushfire just a kilometre away and another, deliberately lit, blaze. "There is no guarantee the fire won't get into the town tomorrow when the winds start to swirl a bit," Ord said.

Meanwhile towns near Mount Buller in the state's north-east were on high alert, including Dargo, which was surrounded by fire on three sides.

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http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Australian_Firefighters_Dig_In_Ahead_Of_Feared_Flare_Up_999.html