Australia turns from defense to offense in wildfire battle

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This satellite photo provided by Maxar Technologies shows wildfires spreading in the area south of Eden and Twofold Bay, shown in black, in New South Wales state of Australia, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2020. (Satellite image ©2020 Maxar Technologies via AP)

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Crews battling Australia’s wildfires say they have been able to turn from defense to offense for the first time in weeks thanks to a break in the weather. The weather is expected to remain benign for the next week, although any deterioration in conditions after that could see the wildfires flare up again. A firefighter was killed by a falling tree, bringing the death toll to at least 27 in a crisis that has destroyed more than 2,000 homes and scorched an area larger than the U.S. state of Indiana since September. Among those who died were four firefighters.