Australia has always had bushfires, but this year it's had an early and huge start to the bushfire season. Several bushfires that were already huge have joined together to cover an area of nearly 2,000 square miles.
It's hard to find enough fire fighters and equipment to deal with all the fires. This week, the government began to get the army involved(参与) in the fire-fighting.
Though thousands of fire fighters have been working to fight the fires, some fires are simply too large to be controlled. Winds have helped spread the fires. And dry weather conditions have made it harder to find the water needed.
Recent fires have trapped(困住) some people in cities and towns along the coast. On Wednesday, around 4,000 people were forced to the beach by a big bushfire and trapped there until the wind direction changed.
Tourists have been told to leave a 112-mile-long stretch(地带) of coast in New South Wales. Fire fighters warn that visitors leave the area before Saturday, when conditions are expected to get worse.
However, leaving won't be easy, since many roads are closed and many gas stations are running low on fuel(燃料). What would help the most at this point is rain. An expert said, "It was nature which started the fires and it will be nature that stops these fires."
