Wildfires raging across Australia have prompted one of the largest evacuations in the country含羞草研究社檚 history as what is already the worst season on record is likely to become even more devastating due to hot weather and strong winds.

More than 200 fires were burning, and warnings of extreme danger to come Saturday prompted mass evacuations. Traffic was gridlocked as people fled and firefighters escorted convoys of evacuees as fires threatened to close roads. Navy ships were called in to pluck hundreds of people stranded on beaches.

Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews declared a disaster across much of the eastern part of the state, allowing the government to order evacuations in an area with as many as 140,000 permanent residents and tens of thousands more vacationers.

含羞草研究社淚f you can leave, you must leave,含羞草研究社� Andrews said.

The early and devastating start to Australia含羞草研究社檚 summer wildfires has already burned about 5 million hectares (12.35 million acres) of land, left at least 19 people dead, and destroyed more than 1,400 homes. That含羞草研究社檚 more acres burned in Australia than any one year in the U.S. since Harry Truman was president.

In South Australia state, fire officials said the weather conditions were cause for concern because fires were still burning or smouldering.

含羞草研究社淭he ignition sources are already there,含羞草研究社� Country Fire Service chief officer Mark Jones said. 含羞草研究社淭here are millions of sparks out there ready to go if they break containment lines.含羞草研究社�

This week, at least 445 homes were destroyed on the New South Wales southern coast and dozens were burned in Victoria. Ten deaths have been confirmed in the two states this week, and Victoria authorities also said 28 people are missing. Fires are also burning in Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania.

The navy evacuated hundreds from Mallacoota, a coastal town in Victoria cut off for days by wildfires that forced as many as 4,000 residents and tourists to shelter on beaches. Landing craft ferried people to the HMAS Choules offshore.

Evacuees waiting to board the ship described smoke and embers flying everywhere when the fires were at their worst.

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 just scary waiting,含羞草研究社� Dani Barmeister told Channel Nine.

Choules Commander Scott Houlihan said 963 people had signed up for evacuation by sea and more had been airlifted to safety.

In New South Wales, a state of emergency and a total fire ban were in place. State Rural Fire Service deputy commissioner Rob Rogers urged people to not wait to leave, noting four people in the state died in their cars as they made late attempts to flee.

含羞草研究社淲e know people have got a little bit of fire fatigue. They含羞草研究社檝e been dealing with this now for months,含羞草研究社� Rogers said. 含羞草研究社淏ut we need people to stay focused. Tomorrow is not the day to drop your guard.含羞草研究社�

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he was inclined to cancel a scheduled trip to India later this month because of the wildfires. In December, he cut short a family holiday in Hawaii in the face of public anger at his absence.

He made the remarks in Bairnsdale, Victoria, where he received a warmer welcome than he had in another wildfire-ravaged town a day earlier.

Morrison cut short Thursday含羞草研究社檚 visit to Cobargo in New South Wales when locals yelled at him, called him an 含羞草研究社渋diot含羞草研究社� and criticized him for the lack of equipment to deal with the fires in town.

In a radio interview, Morrison said he understood the anger of people affected by the fires.

含羞草研究社淧eople are angry and people are raw and people are upset,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淲hether they are angry with me or they are angry about the situation, all I know is they are hurting and it含羞草研究社檚 my job to be there to try and offer some comfort and support.含羞草研究社�

In an interview late Friday with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社淎 Current Affair,含羞草研究社� Morrison was defensive about his handling of the crisis. He denied ignoring the warnings of fire chiefs that Australia was heading into a catastrophic fire season.

含羞草研究社淚 listen to the fire chiefs that are in their jobs now,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淭hey provided those exact same warnings and prepared our services to deal with the situation.含羞草研究社�

He has repeatedly asserted that the fires are a natural disaster, not the result of climate change exacerbated by Australia含羞草研究社檚 dependence on coal and other fossil fuels. Experts say climate change has exacerbated the unprecedented wildfires around the world, including those in California.

Smoke from the wildfires has choked air quality and turned daytime skies to near-nighttime darkness in the worst-hit areas. The smoke has also blown across the Tasman Sea into New Zealand, where skies are hazy and glaciers have turned a deep caramel brown. The colour change may cause more melting since the glaciers will reflect less sunlight.

Sydney University ecologist Chris Dickman told the Sydney Morning Herald nearly 500 million birds, reptiles and mammals are likely to have perished in New South Wales alone. Frogs, bats and insects are excluded from his estimate, making the toll on animals much greater.

The nation含羞草研究社檚 agricultural sector also suffered untallied losses. Agriculture Minister Bridget McKenzie said in addition to their livestock dying, farmers were also struggling to feed animals with their supply chains disrupted.

McMorran reported from Wellington, New Zealand.

Shonal Ganguly And Steve McMorran, The Associated Press

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