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Australian Village Ready for 'The Beast' to Burn on through

Associated Press

   BURRAGATE, AUSTRALIA - As the sky darkened and the smoke billowed
   through the village, it seemed to those hunkering at the fire station
   that "The Beast" would finally roar through. But the wildfire only
   crept closer, prodding forward a few tentative fingers before falling
   asleep again as the winds died.

   The weary volunteer firefighters of Burragate returned to bed early
   Saturday after a week of worry and false alarms. Many have had enough.
   If the fire is going to burn through their southeast Australian town,
   they say, then they want it to get on with the job so they can start
   cleaning up.

   "I'd prefer it not to come, but if it's going to come, stop teasing,"
   said resident Joe Seamons, who has taken to describing what's
   officially called the Border Fire as "The Beast."

   Resident Joe Alvaro put it more bluntly. "I just want to get it bloody
   over and done with," he said.

   Across Australia, wildfires have killed at least 27 people, including a
   firefighter on Saturday, and burned down more than 2,000 homes since
   September. They have focused international attention on climate change
   and caused political problems for Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who
   has been criticized for his lackluster response.

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