Australia faces worst wildfire threat in 40 years

Australian fire services warned Sunday that parts of New South Wales were facing the most dangerous combination of warm, dry weather and strong winds in more than 40 years as major wildfires swept the state.

Fire crews ramped up containment efforts around several of the blazes with the weather forecast to deteriorate and officials warning of "unparalleled" dangers.

More than 200 homes have already been destroyed and another 120 damaged by the wildfires, which broke out across New South Wales state in unseasonably warm weather earlier this week, fanned by extremely high winds.

The worst of the fires, in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, plunged the city last week into an eerie midday darkness as plumes of smoke and ash filled the sky.

One man has died so far trying to protect his property.

- AFP