Australia’s leader apologizes for vacation amid wildfires

SYDNEY — Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison apologized Sunday for taking a family vacation in Hawaii as deadly bushfires raged across several states, destroying homes and claiming the lives of two volunteer firefighters. Morrison said this was not a time for political point-scoring, but a “time to be kind to each other.” He said that while he is not a trained firefighter, “I’m comforted by the fact that Australians would like me to be here just simply so I can be here, alongside them, as they are going through this terrible time.” Morrison also answered critics who say his government has not done enough to fight climate change, which has been cited as a major factor in the spate of fires burning across the states of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. “But I’m sure people equally would acknowledge that the direct connection to any single fire event — it’s not a credible suggestion to make that link.” Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fizsimmons described Saturday as an “awful day” for firefighters as strong southerly winds fanned more than 100 fires in New South Wales alone. “When it came, it came in like three or four minutes, just a big plume of black smoke and then ember fallout,” recalled Steve Harrison, a resident of the village of Balmoral.