Sydney, Jan 25: Homes have been destroyed and thousands of people said it is too late to evacuate as large out of control bushfires burn in Western Australia (WA).

Authorities in WA on Saturday morning warned residents of towns near two bushfires burning in the state’s southwest that it is too late to leave due to fire impacting evacuation routes.

One of the fires near the town of Arthur River, 190 km southwest of Perth, burned through over 11,000 hectares of land on Friday amid hot and windy conditions. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported on Saturday that two houses had been destroyed by the fire, with fears for more.

Residents of Arthur River and surrounding towns have been told it is too late to leave and to seek shelter at home.

“Leaving now will put your life in danger,” the emergency warning from the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) said. “You must shelter before the fire arrives, as the extreme heat will kill you before the flames reach you.”

A lower-level warning for the wider region advised residents to prepare to evacuate. A separate fire near Bremer Bay, a popular tourist destination on the state’s south coast, also prompted a warning that it is too late to leave.

“Do not try to leave or enter this area in a vehicle or on foot. If you cannot shelter in a solid structure, you need to stay in an open space, away from vegetation, such as the beach,” the DFES said.

Warnings have been downgraded for a 40,000-hectare bushfire burning in WA’s sparsely-populated central region, over 300 km east of Perth, with people in the area advised to monitor conditions.

WA has been affected by a severe heatwave for several days, with temperatures across the state exceeding 40 degrees Celsius.

Washington, Jan 24: US President Donald Trump has told reporters that Russia “should want to make a deal” with Ukraine to end the “horrible war” and emphasised he would meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin immediately.

“So, I think Russia should want to make a deal. Maybe they want to make a deal. I think from what I hear, Putin would like to see me. We’ll meet as soon as we can. I’d meet immediately. Every day we don’t meet soldiers who are being killed in the battlefield,” Trump said during an Oval Office signing ceremony.

Trump described the conflict as one of the deadliest conflicts since World War II, emphasising that millions of lives have been lost on battlefields and farmlands, and that millions of soldiers are being killed.

While virtually addressing the World Economic Forum (WEF), Trump said, “Our efforts to secure a peace settlement between Russia and Ukraine are now hopefully underway. It’s so important to get that done, millions of soldiers are being killed. Nobody has seen anything like it since World War II. They are laying dead all over the fields, farmlands… It’s time to end it.”

He added, “I really would like to be able to meet with President Putin soon and get that war ended. That’s not from the standpoint of economy or anything else. It is from the standpoint of millions of lives that are being wasted. Beautiful, young people are being shot on the battlefield. I have seen pictures of what has taken place and it is a carnage. We really have to stop that war, that war is horrible.”

When asked whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is open to negotiating, Trump responded: “He’s lost a lot of soldiers, and so has Russia,” before adding, “But Russia has lost more.”

Earlier this week, Trump posted on Truth Social that he would impose high tariffs and further sanctions on Russia if Putin fails to end the war in Ukraine.

President Trump on Thursday said peace efforts between Russia and Ukraine are “hopefully” underway while speaking virtually at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

“Our efforts to secure a peace settlement between Russia and Ukraine are now hopefully underway,” the US President said while speaking virtually at the forum in Davos on Thursday.

“It’s so important to get that done,” the President added.

“That is an absolute killing field. Millions of soldiers are being killed.”

And as the Russia-Ukraine war enters into its fourth year, Western officials assess Russia’s incremental gains along the frontline add as many as 1,500 deaths and injuries a day, and the toll nears 700,000 casualties for the war, according to the UK Defence M<inistry. And US officials estimated about a year ago that some 70,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed and nearly twice that number wounded.

Trump’s remarks came even though he vowed to end the war on the first day of his administration.

Trump missed that deadline, though the media previously reported that the US President is trying to set up a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss a potential in-person meeting.

He repeated his desire to meet the Russian President while speaking on Thursday: “I really would like to be able to meet with President Putin soon to get that war ended.”

Trump however was critical of Putin while speaking with reporters in the Oval Office on Monday, saying the Russian leader is “not doing so well.” Those remarks are a departure from the typically complimentary rhetoric Trump has for the Russian strongman.

He added that he believes Ukraine “is ready to make a deal”.

The US President said he would seek the assistance of Chinese President Xi Jinping to secure peace in Ukraine.

California, Jan 23: A fast-moving brush fire erupted in Los Angeles County, expanding to 8,096 acres (32.76 square km) with zero containment, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).

The blaze dubbed Hughes Fire broke out around 10:30 a.m. local time on Wednesday in the area of Lake Hughes Road near Castaic Lake, about 80 km northwest of downtown Los Angeles, the Cal Fire reported, noting it quickly grew to the size in less than 6 hours and had crossed the county line to the neighbouring Venture County.

Fueled by heavy and dry plants and pushed by gusting Santa Ana winds, the latest wildfire in Southern California spread rapidly, the local media said, adding approximately 19,000 residents are under mandatory evacuation orders.

Students from middle and elementary schools in the Castaic community were evacuated on Wednesday afternoon, and the Castaic Sports Complex was also under a mandatory evacuation order, which was used by firefighters as a command post.

The Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic evacuated 476 inmates to the nearby North County Correction Facility.

Los Angeles County has been inundated with deadly blazes this month. The Palisades and Eaton fires, the largest ones in the most populous county of the United States, have killed 28 people, sparked numerous mandatory evacuations, and destroyed thousands of structures.

The National Weather Service Los Angeles warned Wednesday afternoon that high winds were expected to continue in Southern California throughout the afternoon and overnight, further inhibiting firefighting efforts against the wildfires raging in the region.

“Winds will be elevated enough to cause explosive fire behaviour,” meteorologist Ariel Cohen said. “This is a very volatile situation, and everyone needs to be prepared.”

A total of 11 people were killed in the Palisades Fire while 17 died in the Eaton Fire amid mass devastation in both communities that has left many residents scrambling to find new homes.

They are now 68 per cent and 91 per cent contained, respectively, after more than two weeks of expansive firefighting efforts.

Robert Jensen of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department urged everyone in the affected area of the new fire to evacuate immediately.

“We’ve seen the devastation caused by people failing to follow those orders in the Palisades and Eaton fires. I don’t want to see that here in our community as well. If you’ve been issued an evacuation order, please get out,” he said.

Police were seen driving through the neighbourhood, telling people to leave as the fire spread.

Footage showed helicopters and planes dropping water and retardant on the fire.

The fleet included two Super Scoopers, large amphibious planes that can carry hundreds of gallons (litres) of water.

Fire crews from Los Angeles County Fire Department and Angeles National Forest were also working on the ground to fight the blaze.

The exact cause of the fire is unclear, but it started during red flag conditions when strong winds and low humidity make it easier for fires to spread quickly.