“The fires are still burning. And they’ll be burning for months to come,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said."And so that’s why I outlined today that this is an initial, an additional, investment of $2 billion [Australian dollars]."
“The fires are still burning. And they’ll be burning for months to come,” Morrison said. "And so that’s why I outlined today that this is an initial, an additional, investment of $2 billion. If more is needed and the cost is higher, then more will be provided.” The wildfires have so far scorched an area twice the size of the US state of Maryland. They have killed at least 24 people and destroyed about 2,000 homes.
“Unfortunately, overnight, it's become apparent that we have two people unaccounted for in New South Wales,” she said at a news conference, adding she still held out hope for some good news to emerge about them. Australians know to expect summer wildfires. But the blazes arrived early this year, fed by drought and the country’s hottest and driest year on record.