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On the famous resort island of Fraser Island in the Australian state of Queensland, emergency services are fighting a massive forest fire. The fire has been burning for six weeks and is still not under control, as authorities said.
Half of the world’s largest sand island, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992, has already been destroyed: so far 80,000 hectares have fallen victim to the flames. Only on Wednesday 345,000 liters of water were thrown, as announced by the local fire department on Twitter.
This week, the fire got bigger and stronger due to a persistent heat wave off the east coast of Australia. Tourists have been told not to go to the island. Fraser Island is popular the world over, “which makes it so painful to watch the island burn,” said Queensland Prime Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk. The forest fire is said to have started with an illegal bonfire on October 14.
With a length of 122 kilometers, Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world. There are numerous lookouts, beaches, and freshwater lakes, making the island particularly popular with campers. Apart from the bushes and mangroves, there is also a tropical forest. According to the authorities, this has not yet been affected by the fire.
