SYDNEY – Australia’s most populous state declared its second emergency on Thursday as extreme heat stoked over 100 bushfires, including three major blazes on Sydney’s doorstep.
The state of emergency declaration gave firefighters broad powers to control government resources, force evacuations, close roads and shut down utilities across New South Wales, which is home to over 7-million people.
Authorities said nearly 120 fires remained ablaze by late afternoon.
Australia has been battling wildfires across much of its east coast for weeks, leaving six people dead, over 680 homes destroyed and nearly 3-million acres (1.2-million hectares) of bushland burnt.(Reuters)
