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The New South Wales Fire Chief is concerned that the fires are still growing in size. AAP Image / Mick Tsikas / via REUTERS

Australian relief has ordered further evacuations as more than 100 fires are still raging in the east of the country. The fires now spread over 250,000 hectares and are dangerously close to Sydney.

With temperatures near 40 ° C near the fires, " conditions have become very dangerous and firefighters may soon be unable to prevent the advance of fire, " warned the fire department of the port city of Brisbane, Queensland, whose three suburbs are now under threat. A container, filled with fireworks, unloaded from a boat, exploded due to the heat, but no casualties were reported.

In the neighboring state of New South Wales, about 90 fires continue to rage and half of them still have not been controlled. " Eleven lights are at the high alert level. Most are north of Sydney and extend to the Central Coast region. We have another fire southwest of Sydney. And a new fire outbreak that appeared last night in Coffs Harbor, north of Sydney, tells New South Wales fire chief Shane Fitzsimmons about the ABC television channel. Many fires are very intense and there is a good chance that they will increase in size. "

North of Sydney, several fires merged Friday into a single "mega fire" that burns uncontrollably. The city has suffered for several days the fallout of toxic fumes, the fire now spread over 250 000 hectares less than an hour drive from the main city of the country.

In addition, the country's weather services have warned that some areas of the country may suffer from a heat wave next week, which could further complicate the situation on the fire front.

Fires are common as the austral summer approaches, but they erupted very early this year and are particularly virulent. Researchers believe that global warming is helping to create more favorable conditions for fires.