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Thousands of people have fled to beaches on Australia’s east coast to escape the wildfires tearing towards the coast.
Around 4,000 people have left their homes in Victoria and have been urged to move into the sea if the blazes around them continue to worsen.
Some have been forced to camp on wharves or have been evacuated by boat after multiple fires surrounded the town of Mallacoota, cutting off road access.
“Mallacoota is currently under attack,” Andrew Crisp, the state’s emergency commissioner said.
“It is pitch-black, it is quite scary,” he said. “The community right now is under threat but we will hold our line and they will be saved and protected.”
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1/13
The afternoon sky glows red from bushfires in the area around the town of Nowra in the Australian state of New South Wales on December 31, 2019. - Thousands of holidaymakers and locals were forced to flee to beaches in fire-ravaged southeast Australia on December 31, as blazes ripped through popular tourist areas leaving no escape by land.
AFP via Getty Images
2/13
Children play at the showgrounds in the southern New South Wales town of Bega where they are camping after being evacuated from nearby sites affected by bushfires on December 31, 2019. - Thousands of holidaymakers and locals were forced to flee to beaches in fire-ravaged southeast Australia on December 31, as blazes ripped through popular tourist areas leaving no escape by land.
AFP via Getty Images
3/13
Firefighters hose down trees as they battle against bushfires around the town of Nowra in the Australian state of New South Wales on December 31, 2019. - Thousands of holidaymakers and locals were forced to flee to beaches in fire-ravaged southeast Australia on December 31, as blazes ripped through popular tourist areas leaving no escape by land.
AFP via Getty Images
4/13
The afternoon sky glows orange from bushfires in the area around the town of Nowra in the Australian state of New South Wales on December 31, 2019. - Thousands of holidaymakers and locals were forced to flee to beaches in fire-ravaged southeast Australia on December 31, as blazes ripped through popular tourist areas leaving no escape by land.
AFP via Getty Images
5/13
A Rural Fire Service (RFS) firefighter conducts mopping up near the town of Sussex Inlet on December 31, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. There are a number of dangerous bushfires burning at emergency level across NSW as weather conditions deteriorate with temperatures expected to rise ahead of gusty southerly change. Princes Highway on the NSW South Coast has been closed with motorists told to avoid all non essential travel. Volunteer firefighter Sam McPaul was killed when his truck rolled over in a freak wind event near Jingellic near the NSW-Victorian border on Monday evening.
Getty Images
6/13
A Rural Fire Service (RFS) firefighter conducts mopping up near the town of Sussex Inlet on December 31, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. There are a number of dangerous bushfires burning at emergency level across NSW as weather conditions deteriorate with temperatures expected to rise ahead of gusty southerly change. Princes Highway on the NSW South Coast has been closed with motorists told to avoid all non essential travel. Volunteer firefighter Sam McPaul was killed when his truck rolled over in a freak wind event near Jingellic near the NSW-Victorian border on Monday evening.
Getty Images
7/13
Property damaged by a fire is seen at a Sarsfield residence in East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia, December 31, 2019
REUTERS
8/13
A Rural Fire Service (RFS) firefighter conducts mopping up near the town of Sussex Inlet on December 31, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. There are a number of dangerous bushfires burning at emergency level across NSW as weather conditions deteriorate with temperatures expected to rise ahead of gusty southerly change. Princes Highway on the NSW South Coast has been closed with motorists told to avoid all non essential travel. Volunteer firefighter Sam McPaul was killed when his truck rolled over in a freak wind event near Jingellic near the NSW-Victorian border on Monday evening.
Getty Images
9/13
A Rural Fire Service (RFS) firefighter conducts mopping up near the town of Sussex Inlet on December 31, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. There are a number of dangerous bushfires burning at emergency level across NSW as weather conditions deteriorate with temperatures expected to rise ahead of gusty southerly change. Princes Highway on the NSW South Coast has been closed with motorists told to avoid all non essential travel. Volunteer firefighter Sam McPaul was killed when his truck rolled over in a freak wind event near Jingellic near the NSW-Victorian border on Monday evening.
Getty Images
10/13
People climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge during a 'Bridge Climb' guided tour on December 6, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. Most of NSW remains under severe or very high fire danger warnings as more than 50 fires continue to burn across the state. Six people have died and 577 homes have been lost since the start of the NSW bushfire season, with more than 420 homes destroyed in the past month alone.
Getty Images
11/13
German tourists Julia Wasmiller (L) and Jessica Pryor pose for a photo at Mrs Macquarie's chair, wearing face masks due to heavy smoke on December 19, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has declared a state of emergency for the next seven days with ongoing dangerous fire conditions and almost 100 bushfires burning across the state. It's the second state of emergency declared in NSW since the start of the bushfire season.
Getty Images
12/13
Fire and Rescue personal run to move their truck as a bushfire burns next to a major road and homes on the outskirts of the town of Bilpin on December 19, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has declared a state of emergency for the next seven days with ongoing dangerous fire conditions and almost 100 bushfires burning across the state. It's the second state of emergency declared in NSW since the start of the bushfire season.
Getty Images
13/13
Two bushfires approach a home located on the outskirts of the town of Bargo on December 21, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. A catastrophic fire danger warning has been issued for the greater Sydney region, the Illawarra and southern ranges as hot, windy conditions continue to hamper firefighting efforts across NSW. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian declared a state of emergency on Thursday, the second state of emergency declared in NSW since the start of the bushfire season.
Getty Images
1/13
The afternoon sky glows red from bushfires in the area around the town of Nowra in the Australian state of New South Wales on December 31, 2019. - Thousands of holidaymakers and locals were forced to flee to beaches in fire-ravaged southeast Australia on December 31, as blazes ripped through popular tourist areas leaving no escape by land.
AFP via Getty Images
2/13
Children play at the showgrounds in the southern New South Wales town of Bega where they are camping after being evacuated from nearby sites affected by bushfires on December 31, 2019. - Thousands of holidaymakers and locals were forced to flee to beaches in fire-ravaged southeast Australia on December 31, as blazes ripped through popular tourist areas leaving no escape by land.
AFP via Getty Images
3/13
Firefighters hose down trees as they battle against bushfires around the town of Nowra in the Australian state of New South Wales on December 31, 2019. - Thousands of holidaymakers and locals were forced to flee to beaches in fire-ravaged southeast Australia on December 31, as blazes ripped through popular tourist areas leaving no escape by land.
AFP via Getty Images
4/13
The afternoon sky glows orange from bushfires in the area around the town of Nowra in the Australian state of New South Wales on December 31, 2019. - Thousands of holidaymakers and locals were forced to flee to beaches in fire-ravaged southeast Australia on December 31, as blazes ripped through popular tourist areas leaving no escape by land.
AFP via Getty Images
5/13
A Rural Fire Service (RFS) firefighter conducts mopping up near the town of Sussex Inlet on December 31, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. There are a number of dangerous bushfires burning at emergency level across NSW as weather conditions deteriorate with temperatures expected to rise ahead of gusty southerly change. Princes Highway on the NSW South Coast has been closed with motorists told to avoid all non essential travel. Volunteer firefighter Sam McPaul was killed when his truck rolled over in a freak wind event near Jingellic near the NSW-Victorian border on Monday evening.
Getty Images
6/13
A Rural Fire Service (RFS) firefighter conducts mopping up near the town of Sussex Inlet on December 31, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. There are a number of dangerous bushfires burning at emergency level across NSW as weather conditions deteriorate with temperatures expected to rise ahead of gusty southerly change. Princes Highway on the NSW South Coast has been closed with motorists told to avoid all non essential travel. Volunteer firefighter Sam McPaul was killed when his truck rolled over in a freak wind event near Jingellic near the NSW-Victorian border on Monday evening.
Getty Images
7/13
Property damaged by a fire is seen at a Sarsfield residence in East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia, December 31, 2019
REUTERS
8/13
A Rural Fire Service (RFS) firefighter conducts mopping up near the town of Sussex Inlet on December 31, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. There are a number of dangerous bushfires burning at emergency level across NSW as weather conditions deteriorate with temperatures expected to rise ahead of gusty southerly change. Princes Highway on the NSW South Coast has been closed with motorists told to avoid all non essential travel. Volunteer firefighter Sam McPaul was killed when his truck rolled over in a freak wind event near Jingellic near the NSW-Victorian border on Monday evening.
Getty Images
9/13
A Rural Fire Service (RFS) firefighter conducts mopping up near the town of Sussex Inlet on December 31, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. There are a number of dangerous bushfires burning at emergency level across NSW as weather conditions deteriorate with temperatures expected to rise ahead of gusty southerly change. Princes Highway on the NSW South Coast has been closed with motorists told to avoid all non essential travel. Volunteer firefighter Sam McPaul was killed when his truck rolled over in a freak wind event near Jingellic near the NSW-Victorian border on Monday evening.
Getty Images
10/13
People climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge during a 'Bridge Climb' guided tour on December 6, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. Most of NSW remains under severe or very high fire danger warnings as more than 50 fires continue to burn across the state. Six people have died and 577 homes have been lost since the start of the NSW bushfire season, with more than 420 homes destroyed in the past month alone.
Getty Images
11/13
German tourists Julia Wasmiller (L) and Jessica Pryor pose for a photo at Mrs Macquarie's chair, wearing face masks due to heavy smoke on December 19, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has declared a state of emergency for the next seven days with ongoing dangerous fire conditions and almost 100 bushfires burning across the state. It's the second state of emergency declared in NSW since the start of the bushfire season.
Getty Images
12/13
Fire and Rescue personal run to move their truck as a bushfire burns next to a major road and homes on the outskirts of the town of Bilpin on December 19, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has declared a state of emergency for the next seven days with ongoing dangerous fire conditions and almost 100 bushfires burning across the state. It's the second state of emergency declared in NSW since the start of the bushfire season.
Getty Images
13/13
Two bushfires approach a home located on the outskirts of the town of Bargo on December 21, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. A catastrophic fire danger warning has been issued for the greater Sydney region, the Illawarra and southern ranges as hot, windy conditions continue to hamper firefighting efforts across NSW. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian declared a state of emergency on Thursday, the second state of emergency declared in NSW since the start of the bushfire season.
Getty Images
The death toll from Australia’s fires has now risen to 12 after a father and son died in the early hours defending their home in New South Wales. Five others have been reported missing.
Since blazes started in September, five million hectares (12 million acres) of land has been torched, covering an area larger than the size of Japan.
Emergency services officials said it was possible towns in this Gippsland area could be evacuated by sea as the fires, which are being fanned by strong winds, continued.
Authorities urged tens of thousands of residents and tourists to evacuate Victoria at the weekend as they predicted Tuesday would be one of the most significant fire weather days in the state’s history.
Fires have also caused extensive damage in New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia.
Scott Morrison, the prime minister, has vowed Sydney’s firework display for New Year’s Eve will go ahead.
Additional reporting by Press Association