As the fire stalked the east coast of Australia, the daytime sky turned inky black, then blood red.
Emergency sirens wailed, followed by the thunder of gas explosions. Thousands of residents fled their homes and huddled near the shore. There was nowhere else to go. The government have prepared to deploy navy vessels and military helicopters to help fight the fires and evacuate people. Local authorities said on Wednesday that "worsening conditions" would return on Saturday.
