Hundreds of local residents and tourists took to the sea in boats Saturday in their desperation to escape forest fires that burned to the waterline in the south-east of Australia's island state of Tasmania. More than 1,000 people were ferried in an armada of rescue boats and pleasure craft 50 kilometres north to safety in the state capital, Hobart. But thousands were left behind to cope as best they can for a second night trapped by blazes whipped up by record temperatures, according to a report of DPA. "The vast majority of people remain down there," acting police commissioner Scott Tilyard said. "Where we possibly could we were moving people out by vessel overnight."
