‘APOCALYPTIC’ BUSHFIRES CONTINUE TO RAGE

The Australian state of New South Wales was in the grip of an unprecedented bushfire crisis Friday, with almost 50 fires still raging out of control despite the efforts of 1,200 firefighters and 70 firefighting planes.

The fires cast an ominous orange glow over large areas of eastern New South Wales, with some locals describing the scene as “apocalyptic.”

At one point during the day there were more than 90 fires burning in the state with 57 out of control and 17 considered “emergency level”.

There were also two emergency level fires burning in southern Queensland. Both states have been plagued by severe drought.

Shane Fitzsimmons, the New South Wales Rural Fire Service (RFS) commissioner, told local media that almost 1,200 firefighters and 70 aircraft had been deployed “to save as many people as possible,” with around 92,000 people affected by the fires. The RFS described the situation as “uncharted territory.”

KELLY-ANN OOSTERBEEK / AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES Flames from an out-of-control bushfire advance toward a nearby residential area in Harrington, some 335 km northeast of Sydney on Friday. Australian firefighters warned that they were in “uncharted territory” as they struggled to contain dozens of raging bushfires across the east of the country.