Australia declares state of emergency due to catastrophic bushfires
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Premier of New South Wales (NSW) Gladys Berejiklian declared a seven-day state of emergency on Monday due to ongoing, unprecedented bushfires which have killed at least three people so far and left a hundred wounded.
Gladys Berejiklian declared the state of emergency to guarantee NSW residents' safety due to the wildfire that has destroyed 150 homes.
Weather conditions favoring the spread of fires such as strong winds, drought and temperatures as high as 35 degrees Celsius are forecast for the coming days, according to local authorities.
Australian Defense Minister Linda Reynolds, on the other hand, authorized on Monday to use all available resources to extinguish the bushfires.
According to Reynolds, the Australian Defense Force (ADF) is 'empowered to provide emergency assistance in local emergency situations to save human life, prevent extensive loss of animal life, or widespread damage to property.'
At the same time, around 600 were schools closed today in Sydney, Wollongong and Newcastle, while 800 firefighters strive to extinguish about 60 active fires in the state, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
In four months, the bushfires have ravaged more than half a million hectares, an area exceeding the figures of the last two years put together. / PL