Sydney, Jan 17 (AFP/APP): Heavy rain fell on bushfires in eastern Australia Friday for a second straight day, offering further relief from a months-long crisis, but dozens of blazes remained out of control. This week’s wet weather has given exhausted firefighters a major boost in battling unprecedented blazes that have been fuelled by climate change and drought. The fires have claimed 28 lives, scorched massive tracts of pristine forests and destroyed thousands of homes. Following months of hot and dry weather that have fuelled the fires, Friday saw the heaviest rainfalls in nearly a decade in some areas close to hotspots. “Rain has fallen across most fire grounds over the last 24 hours, which is great news,” said the Rural Fire Service of New South Wales, the eastern state where many of the worst blazes have raged. “Our fingers are crossed that this continues over the coming days.” However 30 fires were still out of control in New South Wales on Friday, unchanged from the previous day, the fire service reported. Dozens of other fires were also still burning in the southern state of Victoria. And the rain has completely missed Kangaroo Island, the nation’s third biggest off the southern … Continue reading Rain hits Australian fires, but blazes still rage