Man survives bushfire hiding in pottery kiln as Australian town is almost wiped out

Bianca Britton
By Bianca Britton, CNN
Updated 5:46 AM EST, Mon December 30, 2019
02:49 - Source: CNN
Australia reckons with wildfires' destruction
CNN  — 

As bushfires continue to burn out of control across Australia – engulfing whole towns and leaving little behind but for the charred remains of people’s homes – remarkable stories of survival have surfaced from the state of New South Wales (NSW).

Steve Harrison, a 67-year-old potter, hid in a makeshift kiln to insulate him from the flames as his property was destroyed. He told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that he had stayed behind to defend his home in Balmoral, a community south-west of Sydney that has been devastated by the blazes.

“I ran to my ute (pickup truck) but my garden was already on fire, the driveway was on fire, the road was on fire so I couldn’t evacuate,” Harrison said. “The day before I had actually built myself a small kiln down the back – a coffin-sized kiln – just big enough for me to crawl inside.”

Steve Harrison hid in a makeshift kiln after realizing it was too late to evacuate.
Steve Harrison hid in a makeshift kiln after realizing it was too late to evacuate.
Reuters/ABC

Harrison hid in the kiln for half an hour as the “firestorm” raged.

“It was huge, just glowing orange-red everywhere. Just scary. I was terrified,” he recalled. “I could have (died) if I hadn’t thought about plan B. In that little kiln enclosure I made, I had a fire extinguisher, a bucket of water, a drinking water bottle and a fire blanket.”

An old Beetle burns from bushfires in Balmoral, 150 kilometres southwest of Sydney.
An old Beetle burns from bushfires in Balmoral, 150 kilometres southwest of Sydney.
PETER PARKS/AFP via Getty Images

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters at a press conference on Sunday that there was “not much left” of Balmoral, which is home to around 400 people and 150 properties. It was the second time in three days that fires ravaged the area.

“We’ve got the devastating news there’s not much left in the town of Balmoral,” Berejiklian said, adding that “it could take years to rebuild.”

An emotional firefighter hit back at claims that emergency responders did not do enough to save the town.

The firefighter, known only as Greg, choked up as he told radio station 2GB of the “horrific” conditions the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) endured.

“Balmoral has not been wiped off the map. It is not almost gone, it is all still there,” he said.

“The suggestion that we failed in defending that village … I don’t know how the other guys will take that, but for me personally – I’m quite offended at the suggestion that we lost that village because we didn’t,” he said, adding, “I had mates hospitalized.”

Animal rescuer Marcus Fillinger carries a burned kangaroo on February 4 in Peak View, Australia. Fillinger tranquilized the wounded animal for transport to a recovery center.
Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
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Animal rescuer Marcus Fillinger carries a burned kangaroo on February 4 in Peak View, Australia. Fillinger tranquilized the wounded animal for transport to a recovery center.
A bushfire burns near the town of Bumbalong, south of Canberra on February 2.
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Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images
A bushfire burns near the town of Bumbalong, south of Canberra on February 2.
Horses panic as a fire burns near Canberra, Australia, on Saturday, February 1.
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Brook Mitchell/Getty Images
Horses panic as a fire burns near Canberra, Australia, on Saturday, February 1.
A firefighter coats a bridge with foam as a bushfire burns near Moruya, Australia, on Saturday, January 25.
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Noah Berger/AP
A firefighter coats a bridge with foam as a bushfire burns near Moruya, Australia, on Saturday, January 25.
In this long-exposure photo, a car's taillights streak at left as a wildfire glows at dusk near Clear Range, Australia, on Friday, January 31.
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Rick Rycroft/AP
In this long-exposure photo, a car's taillights streak at left as a wildfire glows at dusk near Clear Range, Australia, on Friday, January 31.
An airplane dumps fire retardant behind houses at the foot of Mount Tennent as fire creeps through the Namadgi National Park in Canberra on Thursday, January 30.
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An airplane dumps fire retardant behind houses at the foot of Mount Tennent as fire creeps through the Namadgi National Park in Canberra on Thursday, January 30.
People embrace near the scene of a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/23/australia/australia-firefighter-crash-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank">water tanker plane crash</a> in Cooma, Australia, on Thursday, January 23. Three American crew members died in the crash.
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Jenny Evans/Getty Images
People embrace near the scene of a water tanker plane crash in Cooma, Australia, on Thursday, January 23. Three American crew members died in the crash.
Flying embers are seen in this long-exposure photo from Moruya on Thursday, January 23.
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Flying embers are seen in this long-exposure photo from Moruya on Thursday, January 23.
A young koala named Jeremy receives medical attention for burns at the Healesville Sanctuary in Badger Creek, Australia, on January 23.
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A young koala named Jeremy receives medical attention for burns at the Healesville Sanctuary in Badger Creek, Australia, on January 23.
Firefighters battle the Morton Fire as it burns a home near Bundanoon, Australia, on January 23.
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Firefighters battle the Morton Fire as it burns a home near Bundanoon, Australia, on January 23.
The Parliament House in Canberra is blanketed by bushfire smoke on January 23.
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The Parliament House in Canberra is blanketed by bushfire smoke on January 23.
A firefighter battles the Morton Fire as it consumes a home near Bundanoon on January 23.
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Noah Berger/AP
A firefighter battles the Morton Fire as it consumes a home near Bundanoon on January 23.
Veterinarian Ludo Valenza holds two grey-headed flying foxes, which were being treated for bushfire injuries at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital in Beerwah, Australia, on Wednesday, January 15.
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Darren England/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Veterinarian Ludo Valenza holds two grey-headed flying foxes, which were being treated for bushfire injuries at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital in Beerwah, Australia, on Wednesday, January 15.
Lt. Kynan Lang from the 10th/27th Battalion visits the scene where his uncle and cousin died in a bushfire on Australia's Kangaroo Island.
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CPL Tristan Kennedy/Australian Department of Defence
Lt. Kynan Lang from the 10th/27th Battalion visits the scene where his uncle and cousin died in a bushfire on Australia's Kangaroo Island.
A smoky haze from bushfires hovers over the Melbourne skyline ahead of the <a href="https://www.cnn.com/videos/sports/2020/01/14/australian-open-air-quality-issues-fires-dalila-jakupovic-sharapova-tennis-spt-intl-lon-orig.cnn" target="_blank">Australian Open</a> tennis tournament on Tuesday, January 14. Poor air quality disrupted the qualifying rounds of the tournament.
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William West/AFP/Getty Images
A smoky haze from bushfires hovers over the Melbourne skyline ahead of the Australian Open tennis tournament on Tuesday, January 14. Poor air quality disrupted the qualifying rounds of the tournament.
Properties damaged and destroyed by fire are seen in Nerrigundah, Australia, on Monday, January 13.
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Sam McNeil/AP
Properties damaged and destroyed by fire are seen in Nerrigundah, Australia, on Monday, January 13.
Debris remains where houses stood in the Australian village of Wingello on January 13.
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Debris remains where houses stood in the Australian village of Wingello on January 13.
Bonnie Morris and sister Raemi Morris look on as their family and firefighters battle bushfires at the edge of their family farm in Karatta on Saturday, January 11.
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Bonnie Morris and sister Raemi Morris look on as their family and firefighters battle bushfires at the edge of their family farm in Karatta on Saturday, January 11.
Pictures of firefighters are projected onto the Sydney Opera House on January 11.
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Don Arnold/Getty Images
Pictures of firefighters are projected onto the Sydney Opera House on January 11.
A vehicle makes its way through thick fog mixed with bushfire smoke in the Ruined Castle area of the Blue Mountains on January 11.
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A vehicle makes its way through thick fog mixed with bushfire smoke in the Ruined Castle area of the Blue Mountains on January 11.
Protesters march through downtown Melbourne on Friday, January 10, in response to the ongoing bushfire crisis.
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Protesters march through downtown Melbourne on Friday, January 10, in response to the ongoing bushfire crisis.
An aerial view shows a track running through trees that were scorched by bushfires in East Gippsland, Australia, on Thursday, January 9.
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An aerial view shows a track running through trees that were scorched by bushfires in East Gippsland, Australia, on Thursday, January 9.
A pile of wood chips burns at a timber mill in Eden, Australia, on January 9.
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A pile of wood chips burns at a timber mill in Eden, Australia, on January 9.
Lisa Poulsen tends to her Clydesdale horse, Jake, on January 9. Jake suffered burn injuries in a bushfire on December 31.
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Sean Davey/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Lisa Poulsen tends to her Clydesdale horse, Jake, on January 9. Jake suffered burn injuries in a bushfire on December 31.
A small wave of black water full of burned debris breaks at a beach at Eden on January 9.
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Rick Rycroft/AP
A small wave of black water full of burned debris breaks at a beach at Eden on January 9.
A dead kangaroo lies on a burnt farm in Batlow.
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A dead kangaroo lies on a burnt farm in Batlow.
A firefighter backs away from flames after lighting a controlled burn near Tomerong on January 8.
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Rick Rycroft/AP
A firefighter backs away from flames after lighting a controlled burn near Tomerong on January 8.
Stephenie Bailey is embraced on Wednesday, January 8, as she describes the impact the bushfires have had on her farm in Batlow.
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Stephenie Bailey is embraced on Wednesday, January 8, as she describes the impact the bushfires have had on her farm in Batlow.
Charlotte O'Dwyer, the young daughter of Rural Fire Service volunteer Andrew O'Dwyer, wears her father's helmet during his funeral after being presented with a service medal in his honor by RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons on Tuesday, January 7, in Sydney.
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Dean Lewins-Pool/Getty Images
Charlotte O'Dwyer, the young daughter of Rural Fire Service volunteer Andrew O'Dwyer, wears her father's helmet during his funeral after being presented with a service medal in his honor by RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons on Tuesday, January 7, in Sydney.
A resident throws a bucket of water onto a smoldering tree on his property on Monday, January 6, in Wingello, Australia.
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A resident throws a bucket of water onto a smoldering tree on his property on Monday, January 6, in Wingello, Australia.
A military helicopter flies above a burning woodchip mill in Eden, New South Wales, on January 6.
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Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images
A military helicopter flies above a burning woodchip mill in Eden, New South Wales, on January 6.
A Royal Australian Navy MH-60R Seahawk "Romeo" helicopter refuels onboard HMAS Adelaide during Operation Bushfire Assist, on Sunday, January 5, in this image provided by the Australian Department of Defence. HMAS Adelaide and army reserve forces have been assisting with bushfire evacuations on the southern coast of New South Wales.
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Handout/ABIS/Thomas Sawtell/Australian Department of Defence/Getty Images
A Royal Australian Navy MH-60R Seahawk "Romeo" helicopter refuels onboard HMAS Adelaide during Operation Bushfire Assist, on Sunday, January 5, in this image provided by the Australian Department of Defence. HMAS Adelaide and army reserve forces have been assisting with bushfire evacuations on the southern coast of New South Wales.
Families are evacuated by air from Mallacoota on January 5.
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Families are evacuated by air from Mallacoota on January 5.
A man walks past ash from bushfires washed up on a beach in Merimbula on January 5.
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A man walks past ash from bushfires washed up on a beach in Merimbula on January 5.
The flight deck of a C-130J Hercules is lit by the red glow of the fires below as the aircrew attempts to land in Merimbula to drop off fire and rescue crews to assist fighting the bushfires on January 5.
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Corporal Nicole Dorrett/Australian Department of Defence via Getty Images
The flight deck of a C-130J Hercules is lit by the red glow of the fires below as the aircrew attempts to land in Merimbula to drop off fire and rescue crews to assist fighting the bushfires on January 5.
This satellite image provided by NASA on Saturday, January 4, shows smoke from fires burning in Victoria and New South Wales.
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NASA via AP
This satellite image provided by NASA on Saturday, January 4, shows smoke from fires burning in Victoria and New South Wales.
A father holds his daughter as the skies above turn red during the day on January 4 in Mallacoota, Australia. Many parents with young children were stuck in Mallacoota after flights were grounded because of smoke and only school-aged children and older were allowed to evacuate by boat.
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Justin McManus/The Age/Fairfax Media via Getty Images
A father holds his daughter as the skies above turn red during the day on January 4 in Mallacoota, Australia. Many parents with young children were stuck in Mallacoota after flights were grounded because of smoke and only school-aged children and older were allowed to evacuate by boat.
A Royal Australian Navy crew unload luggage as evacuees from Mallacoota arrive aboard the MV Sycamore on January 4 at the port of Hastings, Australia.
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A Royal Australian Navy crew unload luggage as evacuees from Mallacoota arrive aboard the MV Sycamore on January 4 at the port of Hastings, Australia.
Smoke from wildfires shrouds a road near Moruya, Australia, on January 4.
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Rick Rycroft/AP
Smoke from wildfires shrouds a road near Moruya, Australia, on January 4.
Nancy Allen stands outside her house as high winds push smoke and ash from the Currowan Fire toward Nowra in New South Wales on January 4.
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Tracey Nearmy/Reuters
Nancy Allen stands outside her house as high winds push smoke and ash from the Currowan Fire toward Nowra in New South Wales on January 4.
Evacuees board the Royal Australian Navy's MV Sycamore on January 3 in Mallacoota, Victoria, Australia. Navy ships plucked hundreds of people from beaches and tens of thousands were urged to flee before hot weather and strong winds in the forecast worsen Australia's already devastating wildfires.
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Australia Department of Defense/AP
Evacuees board the Royal Australian Navy's MV Sycamore on January 3 in Mallacoota, Victoria, Australia. Navy ships plucked hundreds of people from beaches and tens of thousands were urged to flee before hot weather and strong winds in the forecast worsen Australia's already devastating wildfires.
Massive smoke rises from wildfires burning in East Gippsland, Victoria on January 2.
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DELWP Gippsland/AP
Massive smoke rises from wildfires burning in East Gippsland, Victoria on January 2.
Royal Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons presents a posthumous Commendation for Bravery and Service on January 2 to the son of RFS volunteer Geoffrey Keaton, who was <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/02/australia/australia-medal-firefighter-son-intl-scli/index.html" target="_blank">killed battling bushfires</a>, at Keaton's funeral in Buxton, New South Wales.
Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
NSW Rural Fire Service via Reuters
Royal Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons presents a posthumous Commendation for Bravery and Service on January 2 to the son of RFS volunteer Geoffrey Keaton, who was killed battling bushfires, at Keaton's funeral in Buxton, New South Wales.
Boats are pulled ashore as smoke and wildfires rage on January 2 behind Lake Conjola.
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Robert Oerlemans via AP
Boats are pulled ashore as smoke and wildfires rage on January 2 behind Lake Conjola.
Cars line up as people evacuate the town of Batemans Bay in New South Wales on January 2.
Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images
Cars line up as people evacuate the town of Batemans Bay in New South Wales on January 2.
A satellite image released by Copernicus Sentinel dated December 31 shows bushfires burning across Australia.
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Copernicus Sentinel Imagery via AP
A satellite image released by Copernicus Sentinel dated December 31 shows bushfires burning across Australia.
A kangaroo rushes past a burning house in Lake Conjola, Australia, on December 31.
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Matthew Abbott/The New York Times/Redux
A kangaroo rushes past a burning house in Lake Conjola, Australia, on December 31.
A man tries to defend a property in Lake Conjola on December 31.
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Matthew Abbott/The New York Times/Redux
A man tries to defend a property in Lake Conjola on December 31.
Firefighters hose down trees as they battle against bushfires around the town of Nowra in the Australian state of New South Wales on December 31, 2019. Thousands of holidaymakers and locals were forced to flee to beaches in fire-ravaged southeast Australia on December 31, as blazes ripped through popular tourist areas leaving no escape by land.
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Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images
Firefighters hose down trees as they battle against bushfires around the town of Nowra in the Australian state of New South Wales on December 31, 2019. Thousands of holidaymakers and locals were forced to flee to beaches in fire-ravaged southeast Australia on December 31, as blazes ripped through popular tourist areas leaving no escape by land.
A destroyed home in Sarsfield, East Gippsland, Victoria, on December 31.
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James Ross/AP
A destroyed home in Sarsfield, East Gippsland, Victoria, on December 31.
Children evacuated from areas affected by bushfires play at the showgrounds in the southern New South Wales town of Bega on December 31.
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Sean Davey/AFP via Getty Images
Children evacuated from areas affected by bushfires play at the showgrounds in the southern New South Wales town of Bega on December 31.
A skycrane drops water on a bushfire burning near houses in Bundoora, Melbourne, on Monday, December 30.
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A skycrane drops water on a bushfire burning near houses in Bundoora, Melbourne, on Monday, December 30.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) captured this satellite image of the historic bushfires burning across Australia on December 26.
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NOAA
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) captured this satellite image of the historic bushfires burning across Australia on December 26.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is briefed by fire officials at New South Wales Rural Fire Service control room in Sydney on December 22. Morrison arrived back in Sydney <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/12/22/asia/australia-fire-prime-minister-criticism-apology/index.html" target="_blank">amid criticism after taking a family holiday to Hawaii during the bushfire emergency.</a>
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JOEL CARRETT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is briefed by fire officials at New South Wales Rural Fire Service control room in Sydney on December 22. Morrison arrived back in Sydney amid criticism after taking a family holiday to Hawaii during the bushfire emergency.
Tributes for volunteer firemen Andrew O'Dwyer and Geoffrey Keaton are seen at Horsley Park Rural Fire Brigade in Sydney, Australia, on December 22. It's believed they were killed when their vehicle hit a tree before rolling off the road, the <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/12/20/australia/australia-firefighter-death-intl-hnk-scli/index.html" target="_blank">New South Wales Rural Fire Service said in a statement</a>.
Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
Jenny Evans/Getty Images
Tributes for volunteer firemen Andrew O'Dwyer and Geoffrey Keaton are seen at Horsley Park Rural Fire Brigade in Sydney, Australia, on December 22. It's believed they were killed when their vehicle hit a tree before rolling off the road, the New South Wales Rural Fire Service said in a statement.
A firefighter battles the Gospers Mountain Fire in Bilpin, New South Wales, on Saturday, December 21.
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A firefighter battles the Gospers Mountain Fire in Bilpin, New South Wales, on Saturday, December 21.
A charred bicycle lies on the ground in front of a house destroyed by bushfires on the outskirts of Bargo on December 21.
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A charred bicycle lies on the ground in front of a house destroyed by bushfires on the outskirts of Bargo on December 21.
Fire and rescue personnel monitor a bushfire as it burns near homes on the outskirts of Bilpin on Thursday, December 19.
Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
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Fire and rescue personnel monitor a bushfire as it burns near homes on the outskirts of Bilpin on Thursday, December 19.
A property burns in Balmoral on December 19.
Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
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A property burns in Balmoral on December 19.
A helicopter drops fire-retardant to protect a property in Balmoral.
Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
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A helicopter drops fire-retardant to protect a property in Balmoral.
Police disperse demonstrators during a climate protest near Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison's official residence in Sydney, on December 19, during his absence on an overseas holiday, as bushfires burned across the region.
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Police disperse demonstrators during a climate protest near Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison's official residence in Sydney, on December 19, during his absence on an overseas holiday, as bushfires burned across the region.
Children swing into the Penrith river during a heatwave in Sydney on December 19.
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Children swing into the Penrith river during a heatwave in Sydney on December 19.
A landscape of burnt trees is pictured after a bushfire at Mount Weison, in the Blue Mountains, on Wednesday, December 18.
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A landscape of burnt trees is pictured after a bushfire at Mount Weison, in the Blue Mountains, on Wednesday, December 18.
A wallaby flees a fire burning near Mangrove Mountain, north of Sydney, on December 10.
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Rick Rycroft/AP
A wallaby flees a fire burning near Mangrove Mountain, north of Sydney, on December 10.
A smoke haze blankets Bondi Beach as the air quality index reaches higher than ten times hazardous levels in some suburbs of Sydney on December 10.
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A smoke haze blankets Bondi Beach as the air quality index reaches higher than ten times hazardous levels in some suburbs of Sydney on December 10.
People join a guided climb of the Sydney Harbour Bridge as bushfire haze darkens the sky on December 6.
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People join a guided climb of the Sydney Harbour Bridge as bushfire haze darkens the sky on December 6.
People are seen wearing face masks to protect against the poor air quality in Sydney on December 5.
Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
Don Arnold/Getty Images
People are seen wearing face masks to protect against the poor air quality in Sydney on December 5.
A bushfire burns out of control in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales on December 2,
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A bushfire burns out of control in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales on December 2,
An aerial view shows bushfires burning in the Richmond Valley on November 26.
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An aerial view shows bushfires burning in the Richmond Valley on November 26.
A CFA crew member rests after a day of maintaining controlled back burns in St Albans, Australia, on November 21.
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Brett Hemmings/Getty Images
A CFA crew member rests after a day of maintaining controlled back burns in St Albans, Australia, on November 21.
An injured koala receives treatment after its rescue from a bushfire at the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital on November 19. The hospital said the fires have "decimated" the area, which is a key habitat and breeding ground for the marsupials. More than <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/30/australia/koala-fires-australia-intl-scli/index.html" target="_blank">350 koalas are feared to have been killed</a> by bushfires in NSW, according to animal experts.
Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
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An injured koala receives treatment after its rescue from a bushfire at the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital on November 19. The hospital said the fires have "decimated" the area, which is a key habitat and breeding ground for the marsupials. More than 350 koalas are feared to have been killed by bushfires in NSW, according to animal experts.
Firefighters try to protect the Colo Heights Public School on November 19.
Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
Dean Lewins/EPA
Firefighters try to protect the Colo Heights Public School on November 19.
Bushfire smoke clouds the sky over the Hawkesbury River in Brooklyn, Australia.
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Sam Mooy/Getty Images
Bushfire smoke clouds the sky over the Hawkesbury River in Brooklyn, Australia.
Firefighters work on controlled back burns on November 14.
Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
Brett Hemmings/Getty Images
Firefighters work on controlled back burns on November 14.
This satellite image shows wildfire smoke on November 14.
Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
NASA via AP
This satellite image shows wildfire smoke on November 14.
A man uses a wet towel to help put out flames near the town of Taree on November 14.
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William West/AFP/Getty Images
A man uses a wet towel to help put out flames near the town of Taree on November 14.
Firefighters organize their crews prior to working on controlled back burns in Sydney on November 14.
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Brett Hemmings/Getty Images
Firefighters organize their crews prior to working on controlled back burns in Sydney on November 14.
Warren Smith pats his dog after returning to find his house destroyed near Nana Glen on November 13.
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William West/AFP/Getty Images
Warren Smith pats his dog after returning to find his house destroyed near Nana Glen on November 13.
Teresa de Ruyter, left, and Michelle Wilson embrace after returning to their homes near Nana Glen on November 13.
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William West/AFP/Getty Images
Teresa de Ruyter, left, and Michelle Wilson embrace after returning to their homes near Nana Glen on November 13.
Firefighters battle a spot fire in Hillville on November 13.
Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
Sam Mooy/Getty Images
Firefighters battle a spot fire in Hillville on November 13.
Residents look on as thick smoke rises from bushfires near Nana Glen on November 12.
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Dan Peled/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Residents look on as thick smoke rises from bushfires near Nana Glen on November 12.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison looks at a screen as he gets a briefing on the bushfire situation on November 12.
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Lukas Coch/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison looks at a screen as he gets a briefing on the bushfire situation on November 12.
Locals watch the fires impact farmland near Nana Glen on November 12.
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WILLIAM WEST/AFP/Getty Images
Locals watch the fires impact farmland near Nana Glen on November 12.
A firefighter mops up after a bushfire in the Sydney suburb of Llandilo on November 12.
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Sam Mooy/Getty Images
A firefighter mops up after a bushfire in the Sydney suburb of Llandilo on November 12.
A fire and rescue team inspects damage around the village of Torrington on November 11.
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Brook Mitchell/Getty Images
A fire and rescue team inspects damage around the village of Torrington on November 11.
Andrew Mackenzie surveys the damage to the area around his home in Torrington. His home was spared, but his neighbors' house was burned to the ground.
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Brook Mitchell/Getty Images
Andrew Mackenzie surveys the damage to the area around his home in Torrington. His home was spared, but his neighbors' house was burned to the ground.
Smoke from the Gulf Road Fire fills the air in Glen Innes on November 11.
Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
Brook Mitchell/Getty Images
Smoke from the Gulf Road Fire fills the air in Glen Innes on November 11.
A sign on a Taree fire station warns of "catastrophic" fire conditions.
Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images
A sign on a Taree fire station warns of "catastrophic" fire conditions.
A lone joey is pictured on a scorched patch of ground in Torrington on November 11.
Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
Brook Mitchell/Getty Images
A lone joey is pictured on a scorched patch of ground in Torrington on November 11.
Emergency crews tend to animals on a property in Torrington on November 11.
Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
Brook Mitchell/Getty Images
Emergency crews tend to animals on a property in Torrington on November 11.
Burnt trees dot the landscape in Old Bar on November 10.
Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images
Burnt trees dot the landscape in Old Bar on November 10.
A firefighter works to contain a bushfire near Taree on November 10.
Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
Darren Pateman/EPA/Shuttterstock
A firefighter works to contain a bushfire near Taree on November 10.
A helicopter drops water on a bushfire in Old Bar on November 9.
Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
Shane Chalker/AAP Image/Reuters
A helicopter drops water on a bushfire in Old Bar on November 9.
This aerial photo, taken on November 9, shows bushfires in the northeastern part New South Wales.
Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
Tom Bannigan/AFP via Getty Images
This aerial photo, taken on November 9, shows bushfires in the northeastern part New South Wales.
Fires burn in the distance as children play on a beach in Forster on November 9.
Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images
Fires burn in the distance as children play on a beach in Forster on November 9.
A fire rages in Bobin on November 9.
Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images
A fire rages in Bobin on November 9.
The remains of a property are seen in Bobin on November 9.
Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images
The remains of a property are seen in Bobin on November 9.
A plane drops fire retardant on a bushfire in Harrington on November 8.
Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
Shane Chalker/EPA
A plane drops fire retardant on a bushfire in Harrington on November 8.
Firefighters try to put out a bushfire in Woodford on November 8.
Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
Dan Himbrechts/EPA
Firefighters try to put out a bushfire in Woodford on November 8.
Police knock on the door of a house to warn residents of an out-of-control bushfire near Clumber on November 8.
Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
Dan Peled/EPA
Police knock on the door of a house to warn residents of an out-of-control bushfire near Clumber on November 8.
A resident hoses smoldering logs as a bushfire burns in Woodford on November 8.
Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
Dan Himbrechts/AAP via Reuters
A resident hoses smoldering logs as a bushfire burns in Woodford on November 8.
The sun is seen through heavy smoke as a bushfire burns in Woodford.
Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
Dan Himbrechts/AAP via Reuters
The sun is seen through heavy smoke as a bushfire burns in Woodford.
Firefighters hose down an area in Woodford.
Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
Dan Himbrechts/EPA
Firefighters hose down an area in Woodford.
Forster residents watch as a water-bombing helicopter flies over a bushfire on November 7.
Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
Dan Kirkman/EPA
Forster residents watch as a water-bombing helicopter flies over a bushfire on November 7.
In this handout photo from NASA's Aqua satellite, destructive bushfires are seen off the coast of New South Wales on November 7.
Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia
Lauren Dauphin/NASA Earth Observatory
In this handout photo from NASA's Aqua satellite, destructive bushfires are seen off the coast of New South Wales on November 7.

NSW RFS said Monday that conditions had “begun to ease,” giving firefighters a reprieve to “identify and strengthen (fire) containment lines.”

However, the slightly cooler temperatures will only be temporary, as weather forecasters predict a return to hot conditions by the end of the week.

According to CNN affiliate Nine News Australia, around 200 fires continue to burn across the country, nine people have been killed and more than 1,100 properties have been destroyed.

A state of emergency was declared in New South Wales as a record heat wave fanned unprecedented bushfires.
A state of emergency was declared in New South Wales as a record heat wave fanned unprecedented bushfires.
PETER PARKS/AFP via Getty Images

The climate crisis link

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who has been heavily criticized for going on vacation with his family to Hawaii as thousands of firefighters worked to contain the fires, rejected calls on Monday for “reckless” and “job-destroying” cuts to the nation’s polluting but lucrative coal industry.

“Australia is taking action on climate change,” he said in an interview with Nine News’ Today show. “What we won’t do is engage in reckless and job destroying and economy crunching targets.”

“You don’t run government on sentiment,” he added. “You run government on the facts and you run government on what you need to do to protect our environment and its sustainability for the future, to protect our economy and the jobs and the livelihoods that Australians depend on.”

Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison pictured at an evacuation center on Sunday.
Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison pictured at an evacuation center on Sunday.
Jenny Evans/Getty Images

The bushfires, which have been burning for two months now, have been exacerbated by strong winds that stoke the flames and spread dangerous embers, and by rising temperatures – including a record-breaking heat wave that began earlier this week.

Morrison and his government have been lambasted for not doing enough to prevent the climate crisis. Australia was listed as the worst-performing country on climate change policy in the 2020 international Climate Change Performance Index which was released this month.

The report – which analyzed countries emissions, renewable energy, energy use and policy – criticized the government for being “an increasingly regressive force.”

The Australian Defence Force has provided support in fighting the fires across New South Wales and Queensland.
The Australian Defence Force has provided support in fighting the fires across New South Wales and Queensland.
CPOIS Kelvin Hockey/Navy Imagery Unit - Albatross

The Prime Minister has, however, acknowledged there was a connection between weather events, fire events and the global climate emergency. At a news conference Sunday, Morrison said there was “no argument” about the links between “broader issues of global climate change and weather events around the world.”

“But I’m sure people equally would acknowledge that the direct connection to any single fire event, it’s not a credible suggestion to make that link,” he added.

Morrison insists that the nation will meet its 2030 emissions targets, which it committed to at the 2015 United Nations climate summit, aims to reduce emissions by 26 to 27% below 2005 levels.