Three Australian Fires Could Merge

Three fires in Australia’s New South Wales could merge sometime this week, firefighters said Monday. NSW Rural Fire Services Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said that weather indicates there is a “strong likelihood” that the State Mine fire and the fire at Mount Victoria will merge—and the “worst case scenario” is that the third fire at Springwood could join in as well. Officials have declared a state of emergency in New South Wales on Sunday amid emergency evacuations. Eight hundred fire personnel are expected to arrive on Tuesday. The region had the hottest September on record, and a dry spell in early October.