So much for the rain putting the fires out. Just a few days after it's all happening again. Today is hot (38C) and now the wind is picking up, which is the big worry. The wind wasn't forecast either so the conditions seem to be making it up as they go along. Lot of smoke coming off our local fire - after a few days of relatively mild haze our air quality is back to New Delhi levels.

Meanwhile the big fire around Sydney is having another flare-up - partially caused by a fire-brigade backburn that went wrong:

"The ABC has confirmed that up to 20 properties have been destroyed near Mount Irvine, Mount Wilson and Mount Tomah.
RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons also confirmed to the ABC that the fire itself was started by a backburning operation."

20 homes lost due to a backburn! Whoops.

In the west of the continent more extreme conditions 4 x 40+ days have resulted in emergency level fires threatening private homes

Some dramatic footage of the flames from the fire near Sydney:

https://youtu.be/PD85vayA7Wk