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Australian firefighters have no respite, even at Christmas to try to contain the fires which plague the whole country as in Sydney. PETER PARKS / AFP

Thousands of Australian firefighters remain at work this Wednesday, December 25 to try to control the dozens of fires, which continue to rage in the states of New South Wales and South Australia.

Firefighters, in the overwhelming majority of volunteers, remain deployed on the ground far from their families on this Christmas day. They arouse the admiration and sympathy of many Australians.

The few showers last night in Sydney and New South Wales offered only a very short respite to the 2,000 firefighters. They took advantage of the cooler temperatures at Christmas to strengthen the containment lines, before a further deterioration in weather conditions expected for this weekend.

The Weather Institute forecasts a further rise in temperatures . Up to 45 degrees which could hit west Sydney this Sunday 28 and Monday 29 December. The situation remains very precarious. Fifty bush fires are still active in New South Wales, including two uncontrolled fires that have developed north and south of a major highway connecting Sydney to the Blue Mountains natural site.

Nine dead since the start of the fires

The fire in the North has already destroyed half a million hectares. In total, in New South Wales, almost 3.5 million hectares went up in smoke, an area larger than the size of Belgium.

" Right now, 70 bush and prairie fires are still burning across our state, New South Wales , " said New South Wales State Volunteer Fire Department spokesman Greg Allan. . Among these fires, around thirty are still out of control. 1,400 people are currently on the ground : firefighters on the fire front and those responsible for logistics and coordination of operations . "

More hectares destroyed this year than in the previous three seasons

Nearly 900 homes were also ravaged by fire in the state. " This season is unprecedented , " said Greg Allan. A season that broke all records! More than 3.4 million hectares have already been destroyed since July 1. It's more than the previous three seasons. This year, all of New Wales is suffering from drought. Without rain, with very dry soil, heatwave and strong winds. As soon as a fire started, it spread very quickly . "

Other forest fires hit the states of Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia hard. A total of 9 people have lost their lives since the start of the fire season in September.

Read also: Australia: the “mega fire” threatens Sydney