Australia's deadly wildfires are showing no signs of stopping. Here's what you need to know
(CNN)Australia is being ravaged by the worst wildfires seen in decades, with large swathes of the country devastated since the fire season began in late July.
A total of 27 people have died nationwide, and in the state of New South Wales (NSW) alone, more than 2,000 homes have been destroyed or damaged. State and federal authorities are struggling to contain the massive blazes, even with firefighting assistance from other countries, including the United States.
All this has been exacerbated by persistent heat and drought, and many point to climate change as a factor making natural disasters go from bad to worse.
Where are the fires?
A satellite image of the bushfires burning across Australia on December 26.
There have been fires in every Australian state, but New South Wales has been hardest hit.
Blazes have torn through bushland, wooded areas, and national parks like the Blue Mountains. Some of Australia's largest cities have also been affected, including Melbourne and Sydney -- where fires have damaged homes in the outer suburbs and thick plumes of smoke have blanketed the urban center. Earlier in December, the smoke was so bad in Sydney that air quality measured 11 times the "hazardous" level.
Haze from the bushfires is seen over Sydney's Bondi Beach on December 10, 2019.
The fires range in area from small blazes -- isolated buildings or part of a neighborhood -- to massive infernos that occupy entire hectares of land. Some start and are contained in a matter of days, but the biggest blazes have been burning for months. In NSW alone, more than 100 fires are still burning.
What is causing the fires?
Each year there is a fire season during the Australian summer, with hot, dry weather making it easy for blazes to start and spread.
Natural causes are to blame most of the time, like lightning strikes in drought-affected forests. Dry lightning was responsible for starting a number of fires in Victoria's East Gippsland region in late December, which then traveled more than 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) in just five hours, according to state agency Victoria Emergency.
Humans can also be to blame. NSW police have charged at least 24 people with deliberately starting bushfires, and have taken legal action against 183 people for fire-related offenses since November, according to a police statement.
Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
A landscape of burnt trees is pictured after a bushfire at Mount Weison, in the Blue Mountains, on Wednesday, December 18.
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A wallaby flees a fire burning near Mangrove Mountain, north of Sydney, on December 10.
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A smoke haze blankets Bondi Beach as the air quality index reaches higher than ten times hazardous levels in some suburbs of Sydney on December 10.
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People join a guided climb of the Sydney Harbour Bridge as bushfire haze darkens the sky on December 6.
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People are seen wearing face masks to protect against the poor air quality in Sydney on December 5.
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A bushfire burns out of control in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales on December 2,
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An aerial view shows bushfires burning in the Richmond Valley on November 26.
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A CFA crew member rests after a day of maintaining controlled back burns in St Albans, Australia, on November 21.
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An injured koala receives treatment after its rescue from a bushfire at the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital on November 19. The hospital said the fires have "decimated" the area, which is a key habitat and breeding ground for the marsupials. More than 350 koalas are feared to have been killed by bushfires in NSW, according to animal experts.
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Firefighters try to protect the Colo Heights Public School on November 19.
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Bushfire smoke clouds the sky over the Hawkesbury River in Brooklyn, Australia.
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Firefighters work on controlled back burns on November 14.
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This satellite image shows wildfire smoke on November 14.
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A man uses a wet towel to help put out flames near the town of Taree on November 14.
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Firefighters organize their crews prior to working on controlled back burns in Sydney on November 14.
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Warren Smith pats his dog after returning to find his house destroyed near Nana Glen on November 13.
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Teresa de Ruyter, left, and Michelle Wilson embrace after returning to their homes near Nana Glen on November 13.
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Firefighters battle a spot fire in Hillville on November 13.
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Residents look on as thick smoke rises from bushfires near Nana Glen on November 12.
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Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison looks at a screen as he gets a briefing on the bushfire situation on November 12.
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Locals watch the fires impact farmland near Nana Glen on November 12.
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A firefighter mops up after a bushfire in the Sydney suburb of Llandilo on November 12.
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A fire and rescue team inspects damage around the village of Torrington on November 11.
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Andrew Mackenzie surveys the damage to the area around his home in Torrington. His home was spared, but his neighbors' house was burned to the ground.
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Smoke from the Gulf Road Fire fills the air in Glen Innes on November 11.
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A sign on a Taree fire station warns of "catastrophic" fire conditions.
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A lone joey is pictured on a scorched patch of ground in Torrington on November 11.
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Emergency crews tend to animals on a property in Torrington on November 11.
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Burnt trees dot the landscape in Old Bar on November 10.
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A firefighter works to contain a bushfire near Taree on November 10.
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A helicopter drops water on a bushfire in Old Bar on November 9.
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This aerial photo, taken on November 9, shows bushfires in the northeastern part New South Wales.
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Fires burn in the distance as children play on a beach in Forster on November 9.
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A fire rages in Bobin on November 9.
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The remains of a property are seen in Bobin on November 9.
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A plane drops fire retardant on a bushfire in Harrington on November 8.
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Firefighters try to put out a bushfire in Woodford on November 8.
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Police knock on the door of a house to warn residents of an out-of-control bushfire near Clumber on November 8.
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A resident hoses smoldering logs as a bushfire burns in Woodford on November 8.
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The sun is seen through heavy smoke as a bushfire burns in Woodford.
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Firefighters hose down an area in Woodford.
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Forster residents watch as a water-bombing helicopter flies over a bushfire on November 7.
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In this handout photo from NASA's Aqua satellite, destructive bushfires are seen off the coast of New South Wales on November 7.
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An aerial view shows a track running through trees that were scorched by bushfires in East Gippsland, Australia, on Thursday, January 9.
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Protesters march through downtown Melbourne on January 10 in response to the ongoing bushfire crisis.
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A pile of wood chips burns at a timber mill in Eden, Australia, on January 9.
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Lisa Poulsen tends to her Clydesdale horse, Jake, on January 9. Jake suffered burn injuries in a bushfire on December 31.
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A small wave of black water full of burned debris breaks at a beach at Eden on January 9.
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A dead kangaroo lies on a burnt farm in Batlow.
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A firefighter backs away from flames after lighting a controlled burn near Tomerong on January 8.
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Stephenie Bailey is embraced on Wednesday, January 8, as she describes the impact the bushfires have had on her farm in Batlow.
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Charlotte O'Dwyer, the young daughter of Rural Fire Service volunteer Andrew O'Dwyer, wears her father's helmet during his funeral after being presented with a service medal in his honor by RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons on Tuesday, January 7, in Sydney.
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A resident throws a bucket of water onto a smoldering tree on his property on Monday, January 6, in Wingello, Australia.
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A military helicopter flies above a burning woodchip mill in Eden, New South Wales, on January 6.
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A Royal Australian Navy MH-60R Seahawk "Romeo" helicopter refuels onboard HMAS Adelaide during Operation Bushfire Assist, on Sunday, January 5, in this image provided by the Australian Department of Defence. HMAS Adelaide and army reserve forces have been assisting with bushfire evacuations on the southern coast of New South Wales.
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Families are evacuated by air from Mallacoota on January 5.
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A man walks past ash from bushfires washed up on a beach in Merimbula on January 5.
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The flight deck of a C-130J Hercules is lit by the red glow of the fires below as the aircrew attempts to land in Merimbula to drop off fire and rescue crews to assist fighting the bushfires on January 5.
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This satellite image provided by NASA on Saturday, January 4, shows smoke from fires burning in Victoria and New South Wales.
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A father holds his daughter as the skies above turn red during the day on January 4 in Mallacoota, Australia. Many parents with young children were stuck in Mallacoota after flights were grounded because of smoke and only school-aged children and older were allowed to evacuate by boat.
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A Royal Australian Navy crew unload luggage as evacuees from Mallacoota arrive aboard the MV Sycamore on January 4 at the port of Hastings, Australia.
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Smoke from wildfires shrouds a road near Moruya, Australia, on January 4.
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Nancy Allen stands outside her house as high winds push smoke and ash from the Currowan Fire toward Nowra in New South Wales on January 4.
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Evacuees board the Royal Australian Navy's MV Sycamore on January 3 in Mallacoota, Victoria, Australia. Navy ships plucked hundreds of people from beaches and tens of thousands were urged to flee before hot weather and strong winds in the forecast worsen Australia's already devastating wildfires.
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Massive smoke rises from wildfires burning in East Gippsland, Victoria on January 2.
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Royal Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons presents a posthumous Commendation for Bravery and Service on January 2 to the son of RFS volunteer Geoffrey Keaton, who was killed battling bushfires, at Keaton's funeral in Buxton, New South Wales.
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Boats are pulled ashore as smoke and wildfires rage on January 2 behind Lake Conjola.
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Cars line up as people evacuate the town of Batemans Bay in New South Wales on January 2.
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A satellite image released by Copernicus Sentinel dated December 31 shows bushfires burning across Australia.
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A kangaroo rushes past a burning house in Lake Conjola, Australia, on December 31.
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A man tries to defend a property in Lake Conjola on December 31.
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Firefighters hose down trees as they battle against bushfires around the town of Nowra in the Australian state of New South Wales on December 31, 2019. Thousands of holidaymakers and locals were forced to flee to beaches in fire-ravaged southeast Australia on December 31, as blazes ripped through popular tourist areas leaving no escape by land.
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A destroyed home in Sarsfield, East Gippsland, Victoria, on December 31.
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Children evacuated from areas affected by bushfires play at the showgrounds in the southern New South Wales town of Bega on December 31.
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A skycrane drops water on a bushfire burning near houses in Bundoora, Melbourne, on Monday, December 30.
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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) captured this satellite image of the historic bushfires burning across Australia on December 26.
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Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is briefed by fire officials at New South Wales Rural Fire Service control room in Sydney on December 22. Morrison arrived back in Sydney amid criticism after taking a family holiday to Hawaii during the bushfire emergency.
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Tributes for volunteer firemen Andrew O'Dwyer and Geoffrey Keaton are seen at Horsley Park Rural Fire Brigade in Sydney, Australia, on December 22. It's believed they were killed when their vehicle hit a tree before rolling off the road, the New South Wales Rural Fire Service said in a statement.
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A firefighter battles the Gospers Mountain Fire in Bilpin, New South Wales, on Saturday, December 21.
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A charred bicycle lies on the ground in front of a house destroyed by bushfires on the outskirts of Bargo on December 21.
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Fire and rescue personnel monitor a bushfire as it burns near homes on the outskirts of Bilpin on Thursday, December 19.
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A property burns in Balmoral on December 19.
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A helicopter drops fire-retardant to protect a property in Balmoral.
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Police disperse demonstrators during a climate protest near Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison's official residence in Sydney, on December 19, during his absence on an overseas holiday, as bushfires burned across the region.
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Children swing into the Penrith river during a heatwave in Sydney on December 19.
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A landscape of burnt trees is pictured after a bushfire at Mount Weison, in the Blue Mountains, on Wednesday, December 18.
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A wallaby flees a fire burning near Mangrove Mountain, north of Sydney, on December 10.
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A smoke haze blankets Bondi Beach as the air quality index reaches higher than ten times hazardous levels in some suburbs of Sydney on December 10.
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People join a guided climb of the Sydney Harbour Bridge as bushfire haze darkens the sky on December 6.
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People are seen wearing face masks to protect against the poor air quality in Sydney on December 5.
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A bushfire burns out of control in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales on December 2,
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An aerial view shows bushfires burning in the Richmond Valley on November 26.
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A CFA crew member rests after a day of maintaining controlled back burns in St Albans, Australia, on November 21.
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An injured koala receives treatment after its rescue from a bushfire at the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital on November 19. The hospital said the fires have "decimated" the area, which is a key habitat and breeding ground for the marsupials. More than 350 koalas are feared to have been killed by bushfires in NSW, according to animal experts.
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Firefighters try to protect the Colo Heights Public School on November 19.
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Bushfire smoke clouds the sky over the Hawkesbury River in Brooklyn, Australia.
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Firefighters work on controlled back burns on November 14.
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This satellite image shows wildfire smoke on November 14.
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A man uses a wet towel to help put out flames near the town of Taree on November 14.
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Firefighters organize their crews prior to working on controlled back burns in Sydney on November 14.
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Warren Smith pats his dog after returning to find his house destroyed near Nana Glen on November 13.
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Teresa de Ruyter, left, and Michelle Wilson embrace after returning to their homes near Nana Glen on November 13.
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Firefighters battle a spot fire in Hillville on November 13.
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Residents look on as thick smoke rises from bushfires near Nana Glen on November 12.
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Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison looks at a screen as he gets a briefing on the bushfire situation on November 12.
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Locals watch the fires impact farmland near Nana Glen on November 12.
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A firefighter mops up after a bushfire in the Sydney suburb of Llandilo on November 12.
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A fire and rescue team inspects damage around the village of Torrington on November 11.
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Andrew Mackenzie surveys the damage to the area around his home in Torrington. His home was spared, but his neighbors' house was burned to the ground.
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Smoke from the Gulf Road Fire fills the air in Glen Innes on November 11.
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A sign on a Taree fire station warns of "catastrophic" fire conditions.
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A lone joey is pictured on a scorched patch of ground in Torrington on November 11.
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Emergency crews tend to animals on a property in Torrington on November 11.
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Burnt trees dot the landscape in Old Bar on November 10.
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A firefighter works to contain a bushfire near Taree on November 10.
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A helicopter drops water on a bushfire in Old Bar on November 9.
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This aerial photo, taken on November 9, shows bushfires in the northeastern part New South Wales.
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Fires burn in the distance as children play on a beach in Forster on November 9.
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A fire rages in Bobin on November 9.
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The remains of a property are seen in Bobin on November 9.
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A plane drops fire retardant on a bushfire in Harrington on November 8.
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Firefighters try to put out a bushfire in Woodford on November 8.
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Police knock on the door of a house to warn residents of an out-of-control bushfire near Clumber on November 8.
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A resident hoses smoldering logs as a bushfire burns in Woodford on November 8.
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The sun is seen through heavy smoke as a bushfire burns in Woodford.
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Firefighters hose down an area in Woodford.
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Forster residents watch as a water-bombing helicopter flies over a bushfire on November 7.
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In this handout photo from NASA's Aqua satellite, destructive bushfires are seen off the coast of New South Wales on November 7.
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An aerial view shows a track running through trees that were scorched by bushfires in East Gippsland, Australia, on Thursday, January 9.
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Protesters march through downtown Melbourne on January 10 in response to the ongoing bushfire crisis.
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A pile of wood chips burns at a timber mill in Eden, Australia, on January 9.
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Lisa Poulsen tends to her Clydesdale horse, Jake, on January 9. Jake suffered burn injuries in a bushfire on December 31.
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A small wave of black water full of burned debris breaks at a beach at Eden on January 9.
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A dead kangaroo lies on a burnt farm in Batlow.
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A firefighter backs away from flames after lighting a controlled burn near Tomerong on January 8.
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Stephenie Bailey is embraced on Wednesday, January 8, as she describes the impact the bushfires have had on her farm in Batlow.
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Charlotte O'Dwyer, the young daughter of Rural Fire Service volunteer Andrew O'Dwyer, wears her father's helmet during his funeral after being presented with a service medal in his honor by RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons on Tuesday, January 7, in Sydney.
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A resident throws a bucket of water onto a smoldering tree on his property on Monday, January 6, in Wingello, Australia.
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A military helicopter flies above a burning woodchip mill in Eden, New South Wales, on January 6.
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A Royal Australian Navy MH-60R Seahawk "Romeo" helicopter refuels onboard HMAS Adelaide during Operation Bushfire Assist, on Sunday, January 5, in this image provided by the Australian Department of Defence. HMAS Adelaide and army reserve forces have been assisting with bushfire evacuations on the southern coast of New South Wales.
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Families are evacuated by air from Mallacoota on January 5.
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A man walks past ash from bushfires washed up on a beach in Merimbula on January 5.
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The flight deck of a C-130J Hercules is lit by the red glow of the fires below as the aircrew attempts to land in Merimbula to drop off fire and rescue crews to assist fighting the bushfires on January 5.
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This satellite image provided by NASA on Saturday, January 4, shows smoke from fires burning in Victoria and New South Wales.
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A father holds his daughter as the skies above turn red during the day on January 4 in Mallacoota, Australia. Many parents with young children were stuck in Mallacoota after flights were grounded because of smoke and only school-aged children and older were allowed to evacuate by boat.
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A Royal Australian Navy crew unload luggage as evacuees from Mallacoota arrive aboard the MV Sycamore on January 4 at the port of Hastings, Australia.
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Smoke from wildfires shrouds a road near Moruya, Australia, on January 4.
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Nancy Allen stands outside her house as high winds push smoke and ash from the Currowan Fire toward Nowra in New South Wales on January 4.
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Evacuees board the Royal Australian Navy's MV Sycamore on January 3 in Mallacoota, Victoria, Australia. Navy ships plucked hundreds of people from beaches and tens of thousands were urged to flee before hot weather and strong winds in the forecast worsen Australia's already devastating wildfires.
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Massive smoke rises from wildfires burning in East Gippsland, Victoria on January 2.
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Royal Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons presents a posthumous Commendation for Bravery and Service on January 2 to the son of RFS volunteer Geoffrey Keaton, who was killed battling bushfires, at Keaton's funeral in Buxton, New South Wales.
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Boats are pulled ashore as smoke and wildfires rage on January 2 behind Lake Conjola.
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Cars line up as people evacuate the town of Batemans Bay in New South Wales on January 2.
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A satellite image released by Copernicus Sentinel dated December 31 shows bushfires burning across Australia.
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A kangaroo rushes past a burning house in Lake Conjola, Australia, on December 31.
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A man tries to defend a property in Lake Conjola on December 31.
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Firefighters hose down trees as they battle against bushfires around the town of Nowra in the Australian state of New South Wales on December 31, 2019. Thousands of holidaymakers and locals were forced to flee to beaches in fire-ravaged southeast Australia on December 31, as blazes ripped through popular tourist areas leaving no escape by land.
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A destroyed home in Sarsfield, East Gippsland, Victoria, on December 31.
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Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
Children evacuated from areas affected by bushfires play at the showgrounds in the southern New South Wales town of Bega on December 31.
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Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
A skycrane drops water on a bushfire burning near houses in Bundoora, Melbourne, on Monday, December 30.
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Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) captured this satellite image of the historic bushfires burning across Australia on December 26.
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Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is briefed by fire officials at New South Wales Rural Fire Service control room in Sydney on December 22. Morrison arrived back in Sydney amid criticism after taking a family holiday to Hawaii during the bushfire emergency.
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Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
Tributes for volunteer firemen Andrew O'Dwyer and Geoffrey Keaton are seen at Horsley Park Rural Fire Brigade in Sydney, Australia, on December 22. It's believed they were killed when their vehicle hit a tree before rolling off the road, the New South Wales Rural Fire Service said in a statement.
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Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
A firefighter battles the Gospers Mountain Fire in Bilpin, New South Wales, on Saturday, December 21.
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Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
A charred bicycle lies on the ground in front of a house destroyed by bushfires on the outskirts of Bargo on December 21.
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Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
Fire and rescue personnel monitor a bushfire as it burns near homes on the outskirts of Bilpin on Thursday, December 19.
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Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
A property burns in Balmoral on December 19.
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Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
A helicopter drops fire-retardant to protect a property in Balmoral.
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Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
Police disperse demonstrators during a climate protest near Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison's official residence in Sydney, on December 19, during his absence on an overseas holiday, as bushfires burned across the region.
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Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
Children swing into the Penrith river during a heatwave in Sydney on December 19.
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Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
A landscape of burnt trees is pictured after a bushfire at Mount Weison, in the Blue Mountains, on Wednesday, December 18.
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Why are the fires so bad?
Fire season in Australia is always dangerous -- the 2009 Black Saturday fires killed 173 people in Victoria, making it the deadliest bushfire disaster on record. But conditions have been unusually severe this year, fanning the flames and making firefighting conditions particularly difficult.
Australia is experiencing one of its worst droughts in decades -- the country's Bureau of Meteorology said in December that last spring was the driest on record. Meanwhile, a heatwave in December broke the record for highest nationwide average temperature, with some places sweltering under temperatures well above 40 degrees Celsius (about 113-120 degrees Fahrenheit).
Strong winds have also made the fires and smoke spread more rapidly, and have led to fatalities -- a 28-year-old volunteer firefighter died in NSW in December after his truck rolled over in high winds.
Experts say climate change has worsened the scope and impact of natural disasters like fires and floods -- weather conditions are growing more extreme, and for years, the fires have been starting earlier in the season and spreading with greater intensity.
Several high-ranking emergency service officials, including the former commissioner of the NSW Fire and Rescue Department, sent letters to Prime Minister Scott Morrison in 2019 warning of the impact of the climate crisis on Australia.
In response, Morrison emphasized a commitment to reduce carbon emissions -- but also said he would stick to "sensible" policies, and that there wasn't "a single policy, whether it be climate or otherwise," that can completely protect against the fires.
What has been the damage so far?
Bushfire survivor Melinda Plesman examines the remains of her destroyed property in Nymboida, NSW.
Entire towns have been engulfed in flames, and residents across several states have lost their homes. The heaviest structural damage occurred in NSW, the country's most populated state, where 1,588 homes have been destroyed and over 650 damaged.
In total, more than 7.3 million hectares (17.9 million acres) have been burned across Australia's six states -- an area larger than the countries of Belgium and Denmark combined. The worst-affected state is NSW, with more than 4.9 million hectares (12.1 million acres) burned.
To put that into perspective, the 2019 Amazon rainforest fires burned more than 7 million hectares (about 17.5 million acres), according to Brazilian officials. In California, which is known for its deadly wildfires, just over 100,000 hectares (247,000 acres) burned in 2019, and about 404,680 hectares (1 million acres) in 2018.
A total of 27 people across Australia have died this fire season, including several volunteer firefighters.
The remains of burnt buildings in the New South Wales town of Cobargo on December 31, 2019.
How many animals have died?
About half a billion animals have been affected by the fires across NSW, with millions likely dead -- and that's a conservative estimate. That number of total animals affected could be as high as one billion nationwide, according to ecologists from the University of Sydney.
The figures for NSW include birds, reptiles, and mammals, except bats. It also excludes insects and frogs, so the real sum is almost certain to be higher, the ecologists said.
Almost a third of koalas in NSW may have been killed in the fires, and a third of their habitat has been destroyed, said Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley.
Some species, like koalas, aren't in any immediate danger of extinction because they are spread out across the country, said the university ecologists. But others that live in more niche environments with lower populations, including certain types of frogs and birds, could be wiped out entirely if their habitats are hit by the fires.
These are pretty good estimates based on previous research on population density -- but until the fires stop, researchers have no way of surveying just how extensive the damage is, and exactly how many animals have died.
What is being done?
Firefighters battle bushfires around the town of Nowra, New South Wales, on December 31, 2019.
State and federal authorities have been working to combat the fire crisis for months.
Early in January, Victoria declared a state of disaster and NSW declared a state of emergency -- both granting extraordinary powers and additional government resources to battle the fires. The state of Queensland also briefly declared a state of emergency in November.
There are more than 2,000 firefighters working on the ground in NSW alone, and more support is on the way -- the US, Canada, and New Zealand have sent additional firefighters to help.
The Australian Defence Force is assisting in firefighting efforts around the country.
The federal government has also sent in military assistance like army personnel, air force aircraft, and navy cruisers for firefighting, evacuation, search and rescue, and clean-up efforts.
The Morrison administration has also allocated 3 billion Australian dollars ($2 billion) in federal aid, to help rebuild vital infrastructure like schools and health facilities struck by fire.
The prime minister earlier said up to $4,200 will go to each of the volunteer firefighters battling blazes for more than 10 days. Other relief measures include compensated pay and extra leave for volunteer firefighters.
When will the fires end?
Unfortunately, Australia is only just entering its summer season. Normally, temperatures peak in January and February, meaning the country could be months away from finding relief.
The fires are unlikely to end entirely since they are an annually occurring event -- and may even get worse if recent years are a guide.
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