Sky Turns Bloody Red as More Fires Engulf South Australia

(Photo : Reuters)

A bloody red sky loomed over the states of New South Wales on Sunday as residents run away from deadly bushfires.

As seen on the photographs uploaded online, multiple landscapes were illuminated by a blazing red sky that looks like hell depicted in many films.

Hundreds of residents on the town of Eden sought refuge on the beach as advised by the police, CNN reported. Many houses and properties were destroyed, and fire officials feared for more fatalities.

NSW has declared a state of emergency, which grants them additional emergency support to deal with the crisis.

"One of the worst days ever."

According to the NSW Rural Fire Service (NSWRFS), at least 150 bushfires were scattered all over the states, with about half of it remained uncontained. At least 2,300 firefighters were working hard to stop the fire from spreading.

At 10:30am there are 150 fires burning, 64 are uncontained. After a difficult day for firefighters yesterday, around 2,300 firefighters are active in the field today. Conditions have eased, however a statewide total fire ban remains in place. #nswrfs #nswfires pic.twitter.com/FUpI9vyTpG — NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) January 4, 2020

Four firefighters were hospitalized after suffering from burns, smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion, but they were in stable condition.

NSWRFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons called the previous day as "one of our worst" on a news conference on Sunday.

Fitzsimmons also confirmed the 24th fatality on this crisis: a middle-aged man who died from cardiac arrest while helping to contain the fire at his friend's house in Batlow.

The temperature on Sunday decreased a bit, but the forecast said that it could worsen again. Fitzsimmons described it as merely a "psychological relief" that they do not need at the moment.

State of Disaster

The state of Victoria has witnessed a 6,000-hectare (23 square miles) blaze -- bigger than Manhattan, New York. It came from three separate fires that combined overnight on Friday, according to Gippsland's Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.

Canberra, Victoria's capital, reached 44 degrees Celsius (111 degrees Fahrenheit) on the afternoon of Saturday, according to the country's Bureau of Meteorology. This record was never seen in the last 80 years.

The local government has declared a state of disaster, which was the first time since the deadliest bushfire in 2009 that killed 173 people and injured 500 others.

More support to come

The Australia Defence Force (ADF) announced on Sunday that they will be deploying additional 3,000 army reserve forces, including specialists on disasters. The goal of the force was to evacuate people in isolated communities and assist in transporting supplies.

Aircraft, ships, and a large vessel, HMAS Adelaide, will also be provided. Some bases will also be open to serve as temporary shelters for those who were displaced by the fire.

Australian President Scott Morrison previously announced on Twitter that ADF has successfully evacuated 1,000 people from Mallacoota through HMAS Choules & MV Sycamore.

Around 1000 people have been safely evacuated from Mallacoota today on board the HMAS Choules & MV Sycamore following the Federal Government’s decision to deploy both vessels earlier this week to support the Victorian Gov’s efforts. Thanks to all those involved in this operation. https://t.co/isyrTs0IA2 — Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) January 3, 2020