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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2020/jan/08/nsw-fires-live-updates-victoria-bushfires-south-australia-fire-sa-australian-bushfire-near-me-rfs-cfa-latest-news-wednesday
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| Australia fires live: third death in Victoria confirmed as NSW bushfires communities assess damage – latest updates | Australia fires live: third death in Victoria confirmed as NSW bushfires communities assess damage – latest updates |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Scott Morrison tours island where there are grave fears for unique wildlife. NSW and Victorian communities clean up during a brief period of cooler weather. Follow the latest news and live updates | Scott Morrison tours island where there are grave fears for unique wildlife. NSW and Victorian communities clean up during a brief period of cooler weather. Follow the latest news and live updates |
| With that sad news, we will wrap up the blog today. | |
| Conditions will worsen tomorrow in South Australia, and on Friday in New South Wales and Victoria, according to fire authorities. We’ve written a full story on that here: | |
| Today: | |
| Victorian authorities confirmed that a third person has died. | |
| Emergency minister Lisa Neville told residents of the state’s north to “leave early” ahead of Friday’s worse conditions. | |
| The total area burnt across the country rose to 10.7m hectares – an area larger than Portugal. | |
| NSW RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons busted myths around “greenies” and hazard reduction burns – as misinformation spread online. | |
| Labor called for a national audit into an estimated billion animal deaths. | |
| We’ll be back following developments tomorrow. Thanks for reading and stay safe. | |
| New figures have been released today by QFES that, sadly, brings the total area burned this fire season to 10.7m hectares nationwide. | |
| That’s larger than Portugal or South Korea. | |
| It was previously 8.4m. A QFES official told Guardian Australia they had time to do “a more comprehensive survey” of burnt areas, now that fires there had died down over the past few days. Their new figures are that 2.5m have been burned in Queensland alone since 1 August. | |
| Fire danger warnings are out for South Australia. Six severe danger areas tomorrow. | |
| And by Thursday and Friday, smoke haze from the Victorian fires will likely reach Tasmania, the Bureau of Meteorology says. | |
| Residents of New South Wales may also have noticed poor air quality has descended across the state today. | Residents of New South Wales may also have noticed poor air quality has descended across the state today. |
| In Sydney, large parts of the city registered over 200 on NSW Health’s air quality index, while Wollongong reached 458, Goulburn reached 435 and Albury reached 456. | In Sydney, large parts of the city registered over 200 on NSW Health’s air quality index, while Wollongong reached 458, Goulburn reached 435 and Albury reached 456. |
| Over 200 is considered hazardous by NSW Health. | Over 200 is considered hazardous by NSW Health. |
| And here’s the Australian cricket captain Tim Paine and spinner Nathan Lyon meeting RFS volunteers in Wingello in the southern highlands. | |
| Hi all, Naaman here taking over the blog. Thanks again to Amy for her work today. | Hi all, Naaman here taking over the blog. Thanks again to Amy for her work today. |
| The Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, has called for a national ecological audit – conducted by all state and territory environment ministers – to ascertain how many animals have been killed in the fires. | The Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, has called for a national ecological audit – conducted by all state and territory environment ministers – to ascertain how many animals have been killed in the fires. |
| Estimates from the University of Sydney’s Chris Dickman say a billion animals have died. According to Dickman, these calculations themselves are based on “highly conservative estimates” of animal populations in the affected areas – so could be higher. | Estimates from the University of Sydney’s Chris Dickman say a billion animals have died. According to Dickman, these calculations themselves are based on “highly conservative estimates” of animal populations in the affected areas – so could be higher. |
| Albanese is also calling for more funding to the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre, which studies bushfire prevention. | Albanese is also calling for more funding to the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre, which studies bushfire prevention. |
| I am going to leave you with Naaman Zhou for the remainder of the afternoon. | I am going to leave you with Naaman Zhou for the remainder of the afternoon. |
| Just to reiterate – fire conditions are set to return to dangerous levels from tomorrow. Please follow authorities’ advice and, particularly if you are in the north-east of Victoria or within the region of the Kangaroo Island fire, please consider leaving now. | Just to reiterate – fire conditions are set to return to dangerous levels from tomorrow. Please follow authorities’ advice and, particularly if you are in the north-east of Victoria or within the region of the Kangaroo Island fire, please consider leaving now. |
| Take care of you. | Take care of you. |
| Earlier, Labor suggested the nation’s environment ministers get together to conduct a national audit of wildlife and environment lost in the bushfires. | Earlier, Labor suggested the nation’s environment ministers get together to conduct a national audit of wildlife and environment lost in the bushfires. |
| The Greens MP Sarah Hanson-Young has also suggested a “fighting fund” be established to help wildlife recover: | The Greens MP Sarah Hanson-Young has also suggested a “fighting fund” be established to help wildlife recover: |
| Further on from what we were saying about disaster payments being made tax-free, Josh Frydenberg has released this update: | Further on from what we were saying about disaster payments being made tax-free, Josh Frydenberg has released this update: |