All along the southeastern coast of Australia, tens of thousands of people abandoned their homes on Thursday after the authorities called for evacuations, warning that the massive fires headed their way this weekend might be the worst yet in an already catastrophic season. Eight people have died in the past week as fires raged across forest and scrubland along Australia’s Pacific coast, choking cities with thick smoke, charring more than 1,000 houses and killing countless wild animals. Fleeing motorists clogged roads and formed long lines at gas stations in the southeastern part of New South Wales, the country’s most populous state after it declared a state of emergency on Thursday. To the south, the state of Victoria, the second-most populous, declared a state of disaster, allowing it to authorize the evacuation of areas along its eastern coast. The premier, Daniel Andrews, said 17 people […]