Dozens of firefighters under threat from bushfire believed to be deliberately lit

Forty firefighters came under attack from an out-of-control bushfire that is suspected to have been deliberately lit in central Gippsland.

The fire taken from the Princes Highway. CREDIT:

Thousands of residents in 14 towns are on high alert as hundreds of firefighters and aircraft continue to battle the blaze, which spread from 600 hectares on Friday to 10,000 hectares overnight as strong winds swept in from the south west with the evening's cool change.

The fire is about six kilometres south from Rosedale in Victoria's east.

A watch and act warning was issued just after 7:30am on Saturday for 14 towns surrounding the blaze, including Fulham, Giffard West, Kilmany, Kilmany South, Longford, Nambrok, Pearsondale, Rosedale, Sale, Stradbroke, Stradbroke West, Willung, Willung South, Wurruk.

Read the story from The Age by Rachel Wells, Liam Manix and Simone Fox - “Dozens of firefighters under threat from bushfire believed to be deliberately lit.”

Queensland farmers suspected to have defied tree clearing controls in 'deforestation frenzy’

Queensland farmers are suspected of having defied rare federal government intervention and cleared a large swath of land without commonwealth approval, according to conservationists.

Cleared land on the property.

The native vegetation was in a reef catchment, meaning the clearing could worsen pollution on the Great Barrier Reef. Government-commissioned studies show it provided habitat to several threatened species.

Queensland is experiencing a boom in tree clearing – rates jumped 33% in 2016, in a region that is already considered the only “global deforestation hotspot” in the developed world. About 400,000 hectares were cleared in 2015-16, meaning Queensland now has two-thirds the annual rate of deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon.

Read Michael Slezak’s story on The Guardian - “Queensland farmers suspected to have defied tree clearing controls in 'deforestation frenzy’.”