PERTH, Australia — Australia’s most populous state of New South Wales declared a seven-day state of emergency Thursday as oppressive conditions fanned around 100 wildfires.
Around 2,000 firefighters were battling the blazes, half of which remain uncontrolled, with the support of U.S. and Canadian backup teams and personnel from the Australian Defence Force.
The last state of emergency ran for seven days in mid-November amid “catastrophic” fire risk and was the first implemented in New South Wales since 2013. Central Sydney reached a maximum of 102 Fahrenheit on Thursday, while outer suburbs scorched at 108 F.
A statewide total fire ban announced on Tuesday will remain in place until midnight on Saturday.
Around 7.4 million acres of land has burnt nationwide during a torrid past few months, with six people killed and more than 800 homes destroyed.
The annual Australian fire season, which peaks during the Southern Hemisphere summer, started early after an unusually warm and dry winter.
Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said five 100-member “strike teams” were on standby to deploy to the most dangerous fires.
Sydney’s air pollution levels on Thursday ranged from poor to hazardous. During the past month, hazardous smoke has often blanketed Australia’s most populous city and made its iconic skyline barely visible.