A bushfire four times the size of the ACT is burning through the Northern Territory, triggering a total fire ban for several parts of the territory.
The fire is burning across almost 10,000 kilometres of land east of the town of Tennant Creek. The town is home to 3,000 people.
It crossed over contained areas on Sunday, and is expected to continue growing. There are concerns it may cross a nearby river, which would make it a threat to Tennant Creek.
Northern Territory fires
The NT Government issued a ‘watch and act’ warning message to locals yesterday evening, as threat levels rose over the day.
The firefighting effort is taking place next to the Stuart Highway, the main road running from Darwin to South Australia.
Residents have been told to avoid unnecessary travel, and be aware of lowered visibility and other safety risks when driving through this area.
El Niño
Bushfire warnings are expected to be rife during the summer months. This is largely due to the emergence of an El Niño weather pattern that would bring hot and dry conditions.
On Saturday, the entire Northern Territory was declared a fire danger area until the end of summer. This means any burning will require official approval before occurring, and all fires must be fully extinguished before being left.
