At the peak of the summer holiday period, tens of thousands of holidaymakers have been urged to leave national parks and tourist areas on the NSW south coast and eastern areas of Victoria before a return of temperatures above 40C (104 F) and hot winds on Saturday.
Victoria declared a state of disaster for the first time, giving authorities broad powers to compel people to leave their properties and take control of services, similar to the state of emergency that has been declared in NSW.
Australian bushfires have so far killed two people and have scorched more than 4 million hectares of bushland. A Tuncurry fire crew member fights part of the Hillville bushfire south of Taree, in the Mid North Coast region of NSW, Australia, on November 12, 2019.
Bushfires have destroyed over 1,000 homes in the last few months. Rural Fire Service (RFS) volunteers and NSW Fire and Rescue officers fight a bushfire encroaching on properties near Termeil, Australia, on December, 3, 2019.
Forecasters are warning that temperatures will soar above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on Saturday, bringing a return of wild winds. Fire trucks are seen during a bushfire in Werombi, 50 km southwest of Sydney, Australia, on December 6, 2019.
17 people are missing with grave fears for their safety. Fire fighting crews from the Rural Fire Service (RFS), NSW Fire and Rescue and National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) officers fight a bushfire encroaching on properties near Lake Tabourie, Australia, on December, 5, 2019.
NSW Fire and Rescue officer protects the Colo Heights Public School from being impacted by the Gospers Mountain fire near Colo Heights south west of Sydney, Australia, on November 19, 2019.
A Rural Fire Service firefighter starts a controlled backburn in an effort to contain an approaching fire near Nattai, southwest of Sydney, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019. Hot dry conditions have brought an early start to the fire season.
Fire and Emergency crew battle bushfire near a house in the rural town of Canungra in the Scenic Rim region of South East Queensland, Australia, on September 6, 2019.
The Clyde Mountain Fire, 200 kms (124 miles) south of Sydney, Australia seen in this satellite image released by Copernicus Sentinel Imagery, 2020 twitter page acquired on Dec. 31, 2019.
Thick smoke from wildfires shroud the Opera House in Sydney, Australia, on Dec. 10, 2019.
NSW Rural Fire Service crews protect properties on Waratah Road and Kelyknack Road as the Three Mile fire approaches Mangrove Mountain, Australia, on December 5, 2019.
A fire blazes across bush as seen from Mount Tomah in New South Wales, Australia on December 15, 2019 in this still image obtained from social media video.
The Australian navy was racing to rescue thousands of people stranded on the east coast of the fire-ravaged country. Country Fire Service (CFS) members put out a fire which reached hay bales on a property at Mount Torrens in the Adelaide Hills, Australia, on January 3, 2020.
Fire and Rescue NSW team rescue a Koala from fire in Jacky Bulbin Flat, New South Wales, Australia on November 21, 2019 in this picture obtained from social media.