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| Australia bushfires: New South Wales declares state of emergency | Australia bushfires: New South Wales declares state of emergency |
| (about 20 hours later) | |
| A state of emergency has been declared in New South Wales as Australian firefighters battle bushfires that have already destroyed more than 200 homes. | A state of emergency has been declared in New South Wales as Australian firefighters battle bushfires that have already destroyed more than 200 homes. |
| The announcement comes as conditions look set to deteriorate with soaring temperatures and strong winds expected to fan the flames in the coming days. | The announcement comes as conditions look set to deteriorate with soaring temperatures and strong winds expected to fan the flames in the coming days. |
| The Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, has been the worst-hit region with some fires still raging out of control. | The Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, has been the worst-hit region with some fires still raging out of control. |
| State officials say they are the most dangerous conditions in 40 years. | State officials say they are the most dangerous conditions in 40 years. |
| New South Wales Premier Barry O'Farrell said the declaration would give emergency services additional powers over the next 30 days. | New South Wales Premier Barry O'Farrell said the declaration would give emergency services additional powers over the next 30 days. |
| These could include cutting gas and power supplies if needed and ordering mandatory evacuations. | These could include cutting gas and power supplies if needed and ordering mandatory evacuations. |
| "We're planning for the worst but hoping for the best," he said. | "We're planning for the worst but hoping for the best," he said. |
| One man has died - possibly of a heart attack - while trying to protect his home. Hundreds of people have been left homeless by the bushfires. | One man has died - possibly of a heart attack - while trying to protect his home. Hundreds of people have been left homeless by the bushfires. |
| One firefighter, 24-year-old Tim Boxwell, said he had lost his own home in Winmalee, on the eastern edge of the Blue Mountains, to the fire while he was on duty. | One firefighter, 24-year-old Tim Boxwell, said he had lost his own home in Winmalee, on the eastern edge of the Blue Mountains, to the fire while he was on duty. |
| "I'd been standing watching other people's houses burn and the emotion from that was bad enough. To be hit with your own house being lost was a shock as well," he told BBC's Newshour. | "I'd been standing watching other people's houses burn and the emotion from that was bad enough. To be hit with your own house being lost was a shock as well," he told BBC's Newshour. |
| 'Unparalleled risk' | 'Unparalleled risk' |
| Officials have warned that the three main bushfires - two in the Blue Mountains and one near the town of Lithgow - could become one huge fire in the coming days, possibly threatening Sydney. | Officials have warned that the three main bushfires - two in the Blue Mountains and one near the town of Lithgow - could become one huge fire in the coming days, possibly threatening Sydney. |
| A fire service spokesman said: "We can understand the magnitude of that as it would then creep into the bottom end of Sydney. It's certainly something that we're very concerned about." | A fire service spokesman said: "We can understand the magnitude of that as it would then creep into the bottom end of Sydney. It's certainly something that we're very concerned about." |
| The foot of the Blue Mountains lies just across the Nepean River from the suburbs of Sydney. Some embers jumped its banks last Thursday, starting a fire at Castlereagh near Penrith. | The foot of the Blue Mountains lies just across the Nepean River from the suburbs of Sydney. Some embers jumped its banks last Thursday, starting a fire at Castlereagh near Penrith. |
| After several cooler days, forecasters are predicting the return of unseasonably hot weather - with temperatures reaching 30C (86F) and higher. | After several cooler days, forecasters are predicting the return of unseasonably hot weather - with temperatures reaching 30C (86F) and higher. |
| The heat wave would probably peak on Wednesday, warned Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons, but there would be little relief in the intervening period. | The heat wave would probably peak on Wednesday, warned Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons, but there would be little relief in the intervening period. |
| "We've got what would be unparalleled in terms of risk and exposure to the Blue Mountains throughout this week. If you are to draw a parallel, and it's always dangerous to draw a parallel, at best you'd be going back to time periods in the late 60s. | "We've got what would be unparalleled in terms of risk and exposure to the Blue Mountains throughout this week. If you are to draw a parallel, and it's always dangerous to draw a parallel, at best you'd be going back to time periods in the late 60s. |
| "The reality is, however, these conditions that we're looking at are a whole new ball game and in a league of their own," the commissioner said. | "The reality is, however, these conditions that we're looking at are a whole new ball game and in a league of their own," the commissioner said. |
| Mr O'Farrell said crews had carried out controlled burn operations overnight to strengthen buffer zones around the major fires. | Mr O'Farrell said crews had carried out controlled burn operations overnight to strengthen buffer zones around the major fires. |
| An emergency warning was issued for the Blue Mountains village of Bell on Sunday morning. | An emergency warning was issued for the Blue Mountains village of Bell on Sunday morning. |
| Residents were urged to evacuate or to take shelter "in a solid structure when the fire front arrives". | Residents were urged to evacuate or to take shelter "in a solid structure when the fire front arrives". |
| Villagers in Mount Wilson and Mount Irvine, meanwhile, were ordered to stay in their homes after fire cut off access roads. | Villagers in Mount Wilson and Mount Irvine, meanwhile, were ordered to stay in their homes after fire cut off access roads. |
| Residents of nearby Bilpin were warned that if they did not evacuate, they could be isolated without power for several days. | Residents of nearby Bilpin were warned that if they did not evacuate, they could be isolated without power for several days. |
| Assistant police commissioner Alan Clarke said mandatory evacuation orders would be enforced in some areas, describing the risk as "far more extreme" than in past fires. | Assistant police commissioner Alan Clarke said mandatory evacuation orders would be enforced in some areas, describing the risk as "far more extreme" than in past fires. |
| "At the end of the day we hope we have buildings standing, but if we don't have buildings standing we don't want bodies in them," he said. | "At the end of the day we hope we have buildings standing, but if we don't have buildings standing we don't want bodies in them," he said. |
| 'Firebugs' monitored | 'Firebugs' monitored |
| More than 37,000 hectares (91,400 acres) have already been ravaged by fire in the state in the past several days. | More than 37,000 hectares (91,400 acres) have already been ravaged by fire in the state in the past several days. |
| Officials say that 15 blazes remain out of control. | Officials say that 15 blazes remain out of control. |
| Smoke and ash from the bushfires have blanketed the Sydney skyline. | Smoke and ash from the bushfires have blanketed the Sydney skyline. |
| Australia's military is currently investigating whether a training exercise using explosives may have started one of the fires. | Australia's military is currently investigating whether a training exercise using explosives may have started one of the fires. |
| The exercise took place at a base near the town of Lithgow in the Blue Mountains region on Wednesday. | The exercise took place at a base near the town of Lithgow in the Blue Mountains region on Wednesday. |
| In the past, many such fires have turned out to have been started deliberately, and police say they are monitoring dozens of "firebugs" - people with a history of committing arson, the BBC's Jon Donnison reports from Sydney. | In the past, many such fires have turned out to have been started deliberately, and police say they are monitoring dozens of "firebugs" - people with a history of committing arson, the BBC's Jon Donnison reports from Sydney. |
| Our correspondent says the blazes have come unusually early in the season and follow Australia's hottest year on record. | Our correspondent says the blazes have come unusually early in the season and follow Australia's hottest year on record. |
| Satellite image of fires around Sydney | Satellite image of fires around Sydney |