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NSW and Victoria fires live: three more deaths confirmed in Australia bushfires and hundreds of homes destroyed – latest updates NSW and Victoria fires live: three more deaths confirmed in Australia bushfires and hundreds of homes destroyed – latest updates
(32 minutes later)
East Gippsland fires claim homes in Buchan, Sarsfield and Mallacoota, and 176 properties lost on New South Wales south coast. Follow live news and latest updatesEast Gippsland fires claim homes in Buchan, Sarsfield and Mallacoota, and 176 properties lost on New South Wales south coast. Follow live news and latest updates
An emergency warning has been issued for Sunbury in Victoria - leave now if you can And there are months to go.
The ADF helicopters sent from Townsville to help with the Victorian fires should arrive this afternnon Today we had both NSW and Victoria’s emergency chiefs tell us they could not get around these fires.
This smoke pollution is showing no sign of moving on today That 10,000 firefighters on the ground would not be enough to stop the blazes.
All that is going to help is a change in conditions, but instead we are facing Saturday being worse than what we saw on Tuesday.
And there are months to go in this season. MONTHS.
On that dour note, I am going to hand you over to Helen Davidson for the evening coverage.
Stay safe and pay attention to the warnings in your area. And please - take care of you.
QUEENSLAND
* 7 bushfires burning
* 250,000 hectares burned
* 45 homes confirmed destroyed
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
* More than 40 bushfires burning, two of significance
* 1.2 million hectares burned
* One home confirmed destroyed
TASMANIA
* More than 30 bushfires burning, seven of significance
* 8000 hectares burned
* One home confirmed destroyed
AAP have put together a wrap of the bushfire season so far.
Australia’s catastrophic 2019 bushfire season at a glance:
NSW
* 15 lives lost, four in the past 24 hours
* Two people remain missing
* More than 100 bushfires burning
* 3.6 million hectares burned, greater than the size of Belgium
* 1087 homes confirmed destroyed
VICTORIA
* One person dead, four more missing
* More than 40 bushfires of significance burning
* More than 500,000 hectares burned
* 68 structures confirmed destroyed but this number is expected to rise significantly
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
* Two lives lost
* About 20 bushfires burning, seven of significance
* More than 60,000 hectares burned
* More than 90 homes confirmed destroyed
Tex Perkins has been in the news today for his dedication to the prime minister during last night’s new year’s eve celebrations.
He’s also putting on this:
That emergency warning for Sunbury comes after a bushfire on Canterbury Avenue began burning out of control.
Authorities are urging residents on Settlers Way and Enterprize Drive to leave now, with the fire expected to hit within the next 20 minutes.
An emergency warning has been issued for Sunbury in Victoria – leave now if you can.
The Australian Defence Force helicopters sent from Townsville to help with the Victorian fires should arrive this afternoon.
This smoke pollution is showing no sign of moving on today:
And here is the Choules leaving Sydney Harbour:And here is the Choules leaving Sydney Harbour:
Victorian police have also sent vessels to Mallacoota:Victorian police have also sent vessels to Mallacoota:
Meanwhile, fires are merging in South Australia.Meanwhile, fires are merging in South Australia.
From AAP:From AAP:
The defence department has just provided an update through the ABC on when the humanitarian ship, HMAS Choules, will arrive in Mallacoota.The defence department has just provided an update through the ABC on when the humanitarian ship, HMAS Choules, will arrive in Mallacoota.
People are still coming to terms with the devastation they are returning to:
There is a bit of confusion around the number of dead and missing.
Since Christmas, nine people have died in bushfires across NSW and Victoria, and at least four people are missing.
The firefighter Sam McPaul, 28, died when his fire truck was overturned by extreme winds east of Albury on Monday.
The father and son Robert and Patrick Salway were found dead inside their house in Cobargo on Tuesday.
A man is unaccounted for and presumed dead in Belowra. The NSW police deputy commissioner, Gary Worboys, said authorities had been unable to access the location west of Narooma to confirm a report.
A man has died in his home on Myrtle Gully Road, west of Lake Conjola, police also confirmed. The man’s body showed no signs of trauma or burns and police don’t believe it is suspicious.
In Buchan, Victoria, 67-year-old Mick Roberts died in the East Gippsland fires.
On Wednesday Worboys confirmed three further deaths in the south coast fires.
The police have confirmed at Yatte Yattah, a body found in a vehicle there, which is near Lake Conjola. One at Sussex Inlet and a body in a vehicle. And ambulance officers have told us about a body that they have located as well deceased.
There remains concern over another person, also in Lake Conjola, where a house has been destroyed by fire and the occupant reported missing.
“We’re sifting through that now with RFS, forensics and fire and rescue New South Wales to work out what’s occurred there,” Worboys said.
Three people are still believed to be missing in fire areas in Victoria.
The NSW RFS commissioner, Shane FitzSimmons, warned the NSW death toll would rise, as further cases were confirmed.
It is not the first time Scott Morrison has brought the bushfires and the cricket together – you may remember this tweet from November:
Scott Morrison finished with this:
The prime minister continued:
Scott Morrison has made a speech about the fires to cricketers who are at Kirribilli House for a function:
The Bega MP and NSW transport minister, Andrew Constance, who was briefly unaccounted for yesterday after defending his home from fires, has urged people to not return to their homes until it is judged safe.
The NSW RFS commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, says the lack of communication is making it difficult for authorities to determine who is still missing.
He says people need to brace themselves for more confirmed deaths.