The local residents and some 30,000 thousand tourists in East Gippsland have been told to leave the area as soaring temperatures and fierce winds fuel huge forest fires in the state of Victoria, AFP reported.
A warm front is underway in the neighbouring state of New South Wales, with fire warnings spreading from Western Australia through South Australia to Tasmania.
The evacuation measures are in place on the eve of famous firework celebrations, which attract the attention of hundreds of thousands in New South Wales's capital city of Sydney, with authorities saying the event is to take place as scheduled. The city is already struggling with hazardous smoke caused by the bushfires.
Since early November, Australia has been rocked by severe bushfires, which have already left nine dead. According to multiple reports, at least 3 million hectares of land and around 700 homes have been burned down in the last few months.
