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In Pictures: Australia fires rage

Firefighters battle some of the most destructive bushfires to ever strike country’s most populous state.

Ferries sail past the Sydney Opera House as smoke from bushfires can be seen above.
Published On 22 Oct 2013

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Firefighters continue to battle some of the most destructive bushfires to ever strike Australia’s most populous state, with higher temperatures and winds expected to intensify the danger in the coming days.

Hundreds of homes have been damaged or destroyed, and the premier of New South Wales has declared a state of emergency.

Bushfires are common in Australia’s summer months from December-February. An unusually dry and warm winter and record spring temperatures prompted the 2013/14 fire season to start early with warnings of a long, tough summer ahead.

A Rural Fire Service firefighter sprays water onto a small fire burning near a home in western Sydney.
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A resident looks at the remains of his family(***)s house in the Blue Mountains suburb of Winmalee, about 70km west of Sydney.
More than 200 homes have been destroyed as fires burned through thousands of hectares of bush, farms and rural communities.
A state of emergency has been declared in New South Wales state, Australia(***)s most populous.
Local resident reacts as she inspects her family(***)s house after it was destroyed by a bushfire in the Blue Mountains suburb of Winmalee.
Forecasts for a return of hot, windy weather raised fears that three of the most dangerous Blue Mountains blazes could join up to form a massive "mega-fire".
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People affected by a blaze return to their home after a devastating bushfire passed through at Winmalee in the Blue Mountains.
A family affected by a blaze comfort each other as they return to their home in Winmalee in the Blue Mountains.
One man has died and dozens of properties have been destroyed as fires devastate the Blue Mountains and Central Coast regions.
Australians were warned on October 18 that the worst forest fires in a decade were likely to claim more lives, after a 63-year-old man who suffered a heart attack while trying to defend his home became the first reported victim.
A photo from the New South Wales emergency service shows smoke billowing from a bushfire on Linksview Road in Springwood.