Seven-day state of emergency declared over Australia fires

Australia has authorised the forced evacuation of residents amid a mass exodus of tourists from fire-ravaged coastal communities, as the country braces for a weekend heatwave expected to fan deadly bushfires.

 Catastrophic blazes ripped through the country's south-east on New Year's Eve, killing at least eight people and stranding holidaymakers.

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian declared a seven-day state of emergency that allows for forced evacuations beginning tomorrow, for the third time in Australia's most populated region this fire season.

"We don't take these decisions lightly but we also want to make sure we're taking every single precaution to be prepared for what could be a horrible day on Saturday," she said.
 (RTE)
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• Australia fires: Seven dead, hundreds of homes destroyed