Over the weekend, we saw the bushfire emergency gripping Australia worsen under crippling conditions.
Seven people have now been killed since the start of the bushfires, with more than 900 homes lost and 200 fires still burning across the country.
We will get no Christmas miracle. These fires are relentless and despite some slightly eased conditions today – they’re not going anywhere fast.
Andrew was one of the two firefighters killed last week in NSW. Post continues after video.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison arrived back in Sydney on Saturday night after calling his family holiday short by one day in response to anger and mounting criticism from his constituents. Hundreds camped outside his Kirribilli home on Thursday holding signs reading “Where the bloody hell are ya?”
Morrison admits to “deeply regretting” any offence caused, and this morning on Today called the decision “complex” but one that “fair-minded” Australians would understand.
Over the weekend, more than 100 buildings were lost in the state – mostly from the mega fire – with Lithgow, Buxton and Bargo the hardest hit areas.
Geoffrey Keaton, 32, and Andrew O’Dwyer, 36 – both young dads – were killed when their truck rolled while on the Wattle Creek fire-ground on Thursday night.
On Friday and over the weekend there was a national outpouring of grief for the hero dads, with flags flown at half mast across the state. A day after their deaths, the men’s brigade in Horsley Park was back out fighting the flames.
The three crews emblazoned their trucks with “In memory of Geoff Keaton” and “In memory of Andrew O’Dwyer.”
The small town of Balmoral in Sydney’s south-west has been hit twice in a matter of days by the Wattle Creek fire.
Premier Gladys Berejilklian confirmed the “devastating” news that there was “not much left” of the small community home to 400 people.
After being ravaged on Thursday, the fire came back again on Saturday and further decimated the area. But locals and those that fought the blaze have hit back at the Premier’s wording.
Like in New South Wales, wildlife has been heavily affected by the bushfires, with one woman's Facebook post about the rescuing of six koalas going viral.
"Amazing work by a man named Adam and his mates who pulled these guys out of harms way at Cudlee Creek and into safety," wrote Janelle Michalowski on Facebook.
More than 200 firefighters from 40 fire trucks remain on the fireground today, extinguishing any areas that are still smouldering, blacking out and patrolling, with a focus on road edges.
25,000 hectares has burned inside a 127km perimeter so far.
Other fires around the country.
In Queensland about 60 fires are burning within containment lines around the state, with the smoke haze from NSW also impacting residents there.
A massive blaze north of Perth which was last week threatening lives and homes in the city's south east has been downgraded. Crews fought heatwave conditions for the six-day fire and saved thousands of properties.
Tasmania's two big fires were brought under control last month and the Northern Territory has been without fire since October.
There are two blazes burning uncontrolled in Victoria, on
A slight reprieve.
The national weather forecast across Australia today has given firefighters a slight easing in the severe conditions that have worsened bushfires in recent days.
In NSW crews are taking advantage of the cooler conditions, undertaking significant back burning in south west Sydney and the Blue Mountains.
"A massive amount of work right across the fire grounds the length and breadth of the state will continue throughout the Christmas and New Year period," Fire Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons told Seven's Sunrise.
Thankfully the NSW crews were joined by Canadian and US reinforcements over the weekend, bolstering their efforts.
Fitzsimmons however says the longterm forecast is still grim stating, "We're still talking four to six weeks before we start to see some meaningful reprieve in the weather [in terms of rain]."
Queensland is expecting some rain on Christmas eve, a much anticipated prediction.
... And there's more.
Mamamia Out Loud, our bi-weekly podcast, is coming to Melbourne for a live show, with 100 per cent of all ticket proceeds going to the Australian Red Cross disaster relief and recovery fund.
It's a brand new show, full of laughs and news and opinions and a few special surprises, with Mia Freedman, Holly Wainwright and Jessie Stephens, on February the 11th. You can buy tickets right now at mamamia.com.au/events. See you there!
With AAP
Feature image: Eden Hills Country Fire Service/ bluemtns_explore