Australia Battles to Contain Worst Wildfires in 30 Years

Hundreds of firefighters were battling on Tuesday to contain Australia's worst wildfires in 30 years which have already swept across more than 12,000 hectares outside the southern city of Adelaide and destroyed at least 26 homes.

The fires, which are burning across a 240-km (150-mile) perimeter in the state of South Australia, come as the Australian Bureau of Meteorology announced on Tuesday that 2014 had been the country's third warmest year on record.

That has raised questions about whether the blaze is the result of climate change and a possible sign of worse to come.

"Unless there are rapid, substantial and sustained reductions of greenhouse gas emissions in Australia and globally, Australia will experience more heat waves and bush fires as in 2014," David Karoly, a professor of Atmospheric Science at the University of Melbourne, said in a statement.

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