Australia ... New South Wales declares emergency as forest fires approach Sydney

Arab Weather - Within two months, New South Wales, Australia's most populous state, will announce its second state of emergency on Thursday, due to raging fires that have come close to Sydney.

The intense heat and strong winds contributed to the spread of fires, which numbered more than 100 forest fires, including three major fires on Sydney's doorstep.

The emergency announcement gave firefighters wide powers over government resources, the forced evacuation of residents, and the closure of roads and facilities in New South Wales with a population of more than seven million, according to Reuters.

And 120 fires are still burning, as of Thursday, firefighters could not control more than half of them, according to the authorities, which called on citizens to be especially careful with expectations that temperatures would exceed 45 degrees Celsius in some areas.

Australia has been fighting forest fires in most parts of its east coast for weeks, killing six people, destroying more than 680 homes and nearly 3 million acres.