Australian officials Monday used a respite from fierce wildfires that have killed 24 people across the country's southeast to race to reopen blocked roads and evacuate people who have been trapped for days.
A second day of light rain and cool winds brought some relief from heat wave-fueled blazes that ripped through two states over the weekend, but officials warned the hazardous weather conditions are expected to return later in the week.
"No one can be complacent. We've got big fire danger coming our way towards the end of this week with hot weather," Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews told reporters Monday afternoon.