Deadly bushfires are ravaging the Australian landscape, so far destroying 1,200 homes across New South Wales and Victoria.
A kangaroo rushes past a burning house in Conjola on New Year’s Eve
This week the fires have razed at least 381 homes in New South Wales and 43 in Victoria, with at least 17 people missing.
The leader of NSW has declared a week-long state of emergency, starting this Friday.
Here are pictures from the past few days.
A firefighter hoses down trees and flying embers in an effort to save houses near the town of Nowra in New South WalesFires rage near Bairnsdale in the East Gippsland region, VictoriaBurning embers cover the ground as firefighters battle against bushfires around Nowra
The declared state of emergency will allow local authorities to carry out forced evacuations, road closures “and anything else we need to do as a state to keep our residents and to keep property safe”, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Thursday.
Bushfires burn between the townships of Bemm River and Cann River in East Gippsland, VictoriaPeople from the town of Cann River are evacuated to Orbost in East Gippsland
High temperatures and strong winds are forecast for the weekend, leading to “widespread extreme fire danger”.
Fire officials have told holidaymakers to urgently leave a 260km (160-mile) stretch of the NSW coast before Saturday.
A firefighter sprays foam retardant in the New South Wales town of Jerrawangala
The deaths in NSW include:
Two people found in separate cars on Wednesday morning
A father and son who stayed behind to defend their home and farm equipment
A 28-year-old volunteer firefighter who was killed when the wind flipped over his fire engine
A satellite image of Batemans Bay on New Year’s EveDebris is seen around a swimming pool next to the remains of a house destroyed by bushfires near Batemans BayA family sit at a showground in the southern New South Wales town of Bega where they are camping after being evacuated from nearby sites
In December, Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison cut short his holiday to Hawaii amid growing criticism of his leadership during the bushfire crisis.
This week he had to cut short another visit – to a fire-hit town when he was heckled by angry residents.
An aerial view of property damaged by the East Gippsland fires in Sarsfield (above and below)
Tracy Burgess, a volunteer with Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Services (WIRES), holds a severely burnt brushtail possum rescued from fires near Australia’s Blue MountainsA WIRES volunteer holds a kangaroo rescued in the Blue Mountains areaSmoke billows from a fire burning at East Gippsland
Mogo Zoo (above), managed to save all its animals, with monkeys, pandas and even a tiger housed at one keeper’s home.
Smoke rises from a fire burning at East Gippsland, Victoria.
The Australian government has been facing criticism over its climate policies as the country deals with the devastating bushfires.
Australia is one of the world’s biggest per-capita greenhouse gas emitters.
Damaged property seen in Mallacoota in East GippslandBushfires make the sky turn red in Mallacoota, VictoriaThe remains of burnt-out buildings seen along a street in Cobargo, New South WalesA horse tries to move away from nearby bushfires at a residential property near the town of NowraA photo from the state government in Victoria shows a helicopter fighting a bushfire near Bairnsdale in East GippslandFirefighters hose down trees around the town of NowraSmoke and flames rise from burning trees around Nowra“Carmelised” snow caused by dust from Australian bushfires is seen near Franz Josef Glacier in the Westland Tai Poutini National Park, New Zealand
Photo Credits: REUTERS, AFP, SHUTTERSTOCK, EPA, TWITTER/MOGOWILDLIFE, DELWP GIPPSLAND / EPA, GETTY IMAGES, MATTHEW ABBOTT / NEW YORK TIMES / REDUX / EYEVINE
