The NSW Bushfire Crisis | Christmas in Australia with an orange, smoke-filled sky

This is a photo I took of one of our Christmas ornaments as the smoke-filled orange sky outside shrouded the setting sun (no filter). The sky is orange and full of bushfire smoke all up and down the East coast of Australia. Currently we are experiencing temperatures of 39-42 degrees Celsius, which is about 102-107F.

So far, the fires have burnt about 2.7 million hectares — an area greater than Wales. Yes, Wales, the country — with a perimeter of 19,235 kms (12,000 miles).

Photo by Martin Von Stoll

Below is the current fire activity map as of 10am this morning AEST. Conditions are severe and it is expected to get much worse from today as the temperatures remain very high.

School holidays have just begun and people have been urged to reconsider their travel plans or at least review them to avoid all areas at risk of bushfire activity.

My Facebook feed is full of emergency warnings from the NSW Rural Fire Service warning people that it is too late to leave and they must shelter themselves from the heat of the fire.

There are currently serious concerns that two of the mega fires, the Gospers Mountain blaze and the Green Wattle Creek fire, both at emergency level, will join and surround Sydney in a humongous blaze.

Credit: 9News.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian issued a state of emergency for the next seven days this morning. This is when fire activity is considered to be catastrophic.

Our relatives in Sydney are already suffering from smoke inhalation. The pollution in the air is causing asthma, headaches, metallic tastes in the mouth to name a few.

If you are interested, you can Google the Australian bushfire crisis and donate to an appeal of your choice, if you have the means, I can assure you the people of NSW will be most grateful. Our summer has only just begun!

Our Rural Fire Service commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons has been praised for managing the crisis so well. He has been given authority to direct any NSW government agency to conduct or refrain from conducting its functions, as the battle against the fires maintain priority.

Source

Needless to say, there is a state-wide fire ban in place.

You can watch a live feed about the latest updates here:
https://www.9news.com.au/videos/watch-live/9-news-special-coverage-nsw-bushfire-crisis/cjk0ls10z000k0gs50xrj6htl

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