Firefighters are battling to contain bushfires in the Sydney area as authorities warned New South Wales faces hazardous conditions for months to come.
A series of major wildfires are burning, destroying hundreds of homes, due to the country’s warmest September on record, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
Popular tourist areas like the Blue Mountains, around 45 miles west of Sydney and Lake Macquarie have been some of the worst affected areas.
"It’s been an awful 24 hours for the Blue Mountains [region]," Mayor Mark Greenhill told Nine Network Television. "We’ve lost possibly scores of homes."
Jodie Harrison, Mayor of Lake Macquarie, said that four heritage homes, as well as a historic jetty, were caught in the fire.
The fires are said to be the worst NSW has seen for more than a decade, with smoke and ash from the wildfires being seen on the Sydney city skyline.
"We’re seeing some of the worst bushfires experienced around Sydney in living memory," state Premier Barry O’Farrell told Sky News. "Emergency services are in for a long tough summer."
The NSW Rural Fire Service drafted crews from other states to help fight more than 25 uncontained blazes and issued three emergency warnings, down from seven yesterday.
Newcastle Airport, a regional hub about 175 kilometers north of Sydney, has reopened after a nearby bushfire forced its closure and evacuation.
