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The Australia Fires in Photos: Here's What We Know - Wall Street Journal

A firefighter works to contain a small fire near Ulladulla, Australia, on Sunday. Photo: dean lewins/Shutterstock

About 150 fires were burning across New South Wales state on Sunday, with 39 more in neighboring Victoria. On Saturday, conditions became catastrophic, with temperatures surging past 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Wildfires have blackened more than 20,000 square miles so far.

Fire rained down from the formation of pyrocumulonimbus clouds. These produce intense updrafts that suck in so much air that strong winds develop, which can cause a fire to burn hotter and spread, according to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.

Scientists say they are just starting to understand this weather phenomenon, making its behavior hard to predict. The clouds can make nearby fires change direction, and throw off embers that land several miles away from the main front, starting new blazes.

A kangaroo is seen surrounded by smoke haze early morning in Canberra, Australia, on Sunday. Photo: lukas coch/Shutterstock
A woman at an evacuation center in Cobargo. Photo: tracey nearmy/Reuters
A Rural Fire Service drops a load of fire retardant in western Sydney on Sunday. Photo: Jenny Evans/Getty Images

Over the past week, the death toll from fires in New South Wales climbed to nine. In Victoria, two people have died and seven people are unaccounted for, according to officials. Fires in Kangaroo Island, a popular tourist spot, have left two people dead.

Relief efforts continued. Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the country will deploy 3,000 defense-force reservists and lease more waterbombing planes.

More than 1,150 evacuees from the fire-ravaged town of Mallacoota were taken by navy ships to Westernport on Victoria’s south coast. Defense bases from Brisbane to Adelaide were being used as temporary shelters for evacuees. The HMAS Adelaide, the Australian navy’s largest amphibious ship, is being mobilized to support the evacuation of fire-affected areas along the southeastern coast.

Many celebrities have also been working to raise awareness and funds, including actress Celeste Barber, whose Facebook page for the cause has received over $20 million in donations so far for The Trustee for NSW Rural Fire Service & Brigades Donations Fund.

In 2009, Australia faced its worst bush fire disaster measured by lives lost. The Black Saturday fires in Victoria left 173 dead.

Firefighters drag a hose to battle a fire near Bendalong, Australia, on Friday. Photo: Rick Rycroft/Associated Press
The remains of a house destroyed by a fire is seen just outside Batemans Bay in New South Wales. Photo: peter parks/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
A fire burns near Ulladulla, Australia, on Sunday. Photo: dean lewins/Shutterstock

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