Rain hits Australian fires

SYDNEY: Heavy rain fell on bushfires in eastern Australia on Friday for a second straight day, offering further relief from a months-long crisis, but dozens of blazes remained out of control.

This week’s wet weather has given exhausted firefighters a major boost in battling unprecedented blazes that have been fuelled by climate change and drought. The fires have claimed 28 lives, scorched massive tracts of pristine forests and destroyed thousands of homes.

Following months of hot and dry weather that have fuelled the fires, Friday saw the heaviest rainfalls in nearly a decade in some areas close to hotspots.