‘Catastrophic’ Fires Plague NSW, Australia

Residents told to get out as multiple bushfires breach containment lines

There are reports of dozens of homes and other structures being destroyed, machinery and other agricultural assets being lost, and hundreds of farm animals perished in the raging fires.

“The NSW Rural Fire Service says people who live in bushland areas with catastrophic fire conditions need to leave their homes as blazes can become uncontrollable in minutes,” said a report.

“At 8pm [Sunday] there are 97 fires across the state, with 37 uncontained. 4 are at Emergency Warning & 2 at Watch & Act,” NWS RFS reported.

A 40,000-hectare fire has been burning since Saturday at Leadville near Dunedoo, east of Dubbo, reports said.

Warnings and Additional information are available from http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/warnings/

Fire Destroys Over 1,000 Homes in Manila Shanty Town

Thousands left homeless by fire in Philippine capital

The fire destroyed at least 1,000 shanties in a squatters community in Isla Puting Bato, Tondo (Port of Manila dock area), leaving more than 10,000 residents homeless.

Original caption: Residents gather reusable materials from remains of their homes after a fire in Manila, capital of the Philippines, May 12, 2012. A fire destroyed hundreds of shanty homes, leaving over 10,000 residents homeless on May 11. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali) Image  may be subject to copyright. More images…

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar