Australia hit by wildfires

Wildfires have hit New South Wales in Australia, potentially destroying hundreds of homes.

A 63-year-old man died from a heart attack as he tried to defend his home in Lake Munmorah, in the Central Coast region of NSW, on Thursday afternoon, whilst three fire fighters have been reported injured.

Winmalee, which is situated around 70km west of Sydney, was one of the worst-hit areas.

The blazes are continuing to burn in the outskirts of Sydney, despite the easing of temperatures and winds.

Bushfires are common in Australia but, according to the locals, they have come earlier than normal this year, sparking concerns of further problems to come.

Deputy New South Wales Rural Fire Service Commissioner Rob Rogers said the fire situation was the worst he had seen in more than a decade and the threat was unlikely to ease for some time.

"We've got thousands of kilometres of fire front that we are faced with trying to deal with," he said.

Fire fighters described blazes as tall as 20m to 30m.

Officials were still trying to determine the number of homes affected by the fire, with reports estimating the loss of as many as 200 homes.