Firefighters battled nearly 200 bush fires across Australia on Thursday as authorities issued a Code Red alert for parts of Victoria state and Sydney was blanketed in hazardous smoke for the third consecutive day.
Officials imposed a total fire ban across Victoria where temperatures were expected to peak above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) and warned people in high danger areas to be prepared to evacuate.
A Code Red alert indicates the worst possible bush-fire conditions, warning people that should a fire start it will be fast moving, unpredictable and likely uncontrollable.