Australia fires: New South Wales declares week-long state of emergency

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In Australian state of New South Wales, a week-long state of emergency has been declared in response to the escalating bushfire threat.

High temperatures and strong winds are forecast for the weekend, leading to widespread extreme fire danger in the eastern Australian state.

Since September, last year, bushfires have killed 18 people and destroyed more than 1,200 homes across New South Wales and Victoria. At least 17 people remain missing after fires this week alone.

Thousands of people are already fleeing New South Wales with supplies running low in some cut-off towns. It’s been called the largest relocation out of the region ever.