Another small town lost many homes today as fires continue. Lightning and continued hot weather has many towns preparing for evacuation, battling fires and trying to keep other fires already burning contained.

We have so far been lucky in our own area as lightning started only small blazes that were quickly brought under control. I've got to go to help with other preparations as the weather hots up again.

Fires still burn across NSW. Lightning strikes have started new fires overnight unfortunately extending the length of time fire fighters and residents will have to continue battling these outbreaks for.

I'm reading people are stating everything was burning and it was like fire tornadoes coming towards them. I also read there was a bit of cooling but that another heatwave is coming. Hold on. How are water resources holding up?

"We saw tornadoes of fire just coming across towards us and the next thing we knew everything was on fire, everywhere all around us," he said.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20967410

'Tornadoes of fire'
Tasmania was the first state to be affected, before fires broke out in New South Wales.

Some blazes have also been reported in Victoria and Queensland.

Officials said of some 120 fires in New South Wales, 17 remained uncontained, and more than 3,000 sq km (1,160 sq miles) of land has been destroyed.
The worst blazes are in the state's south near Yass, Sussex Inlet and Cooma.

At Dean's Gap, near Sussex Inlet, more than 100 firefighters are trying to stop the blaze reaching the disused army range.

They are using special gels and bulldozers to carve out containment lines.

"We need to get a really good handle on that fire before high fire danger conditions return," said a Rural Fire Service (RFS) spokeswoman.

Firefighters have been scrambling to take advantage of cooler weather on Wednesday and Thursday.

In Cooma, there are at least 80 firefighting aircraft, 360 fire trucks and more than 1,000 RFS volunteers trying to contain the fires in the area, local reports say.

Bushfires also continue to cause concern in Tasmania.

A large blaze is still burning out of control by the Tasman peninsula, near areas already hit by major blazes over the weekend.

More than 200 sq km of land and 120 homes have been destroyed.

"Even though conditions at the moment have calmed down a little bit, that doesn't mean that people can become complacent," said Tasmania Fire Service's Paul Symington.

"They still need to be vigilant, still monitor the websites and the radios because if things do change, they need to be on top of it."

A couple in Tasmania and their five grand-children, pictured here, sought shelter in the water under a jetty as flames closed in on the town of Dunalley
Photos of a Tasmanian family clinging to a jetty surrounded by fire have been widely shared by the international media.

Tim Holmes said he and his wife and their five grandchildren sought shelter in the water under a jetty for three hours.

"We saw tornadoes of fire just coming across towards us and the next thing we knew everything was on fire, everywhere all around us," he said.

Later on, he managed to make his way to shore and fetch a dinghy to transport his wife and the children."