The fires around Port Macquarie have given the entire region an eerie orange tinge, with one resident describing the scene as "apocalyptic". Photo: Facebook / Live Traffic NSW
People living in the outskirts of Sydney have been warned there are not enough fire engines to serve every house, and not to expect help to come if they call for it, as catastrophic wildfire conditions are expected today.
About 600 schools will be closed in New South Wales as bushfires bear down on highly populated areas around Sydney, Wollongong and Newcastle.
A state of emergency is in place for the next seven days, and the federal Police Minister, David Elliot, says this could be 'the most dangerous bushfire week' the nation has ever seen.
Professor Jim McLennan is a Bushfire Safety Researcher and Adjunct Professor in the School of Psychology and Public Health at La Trobe University in Victoria. He says city residents in particular are not as ready as they should be.
