New South Wales declares state of emergency as Australia burns
A STATE of emergency has been declared in New South Wales as Australian firefighters battle bushfires that have already destroyed more than 200 homes.
The announcement comes as conditions look set to deteriorate with soaring temperatures and strong winds expected to fan the flames in the coming days.
The Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, has been the worst-hit region with some fires still raging out of control.
State officials say they are the most dangerous conditions in 40 years.
New South Wales Premier Barry O’Farrell said the declaration would give emergency services additional powers over the next 30 days.
These could include cutting gas and power supplies if needed and ordering mandatory evacuations.
“We’re planning for the worst but hoping for the best,” he said.
One man has died - possibly of a heart attack - while trying to protect his home. Hundreds of people have been left homeless by the bushfires.
One firefighter, 24-year-old Tim Boxwell, said he had lost his own home in Winmalee, on the eastern edge of the Blue Mountains, to the fire while he was on duty.
“I’d been standing watching other people’s houses burn and the emotion from that was bad enough. To be hit with your own house being lost was a shock as well,” he told BBC’s Newshour.
‘Unparalleled risk’
Officials have warned that the three main bushfires - two in the Blue Mountains and one near the town of Lithgow - could become one huge fire in the coming days, possibly threatening Sydney.
A fire service spokesman said: “We can understand the magnitude of that as it would then creep into the bottom end of Sydney. It’s certainly something that we’re very concerned about.”
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