Bolstered by cooler weather and desperately needed rain, exhausted firefighters in Australia have raced to shore up defences against deadly wildfires before a forecast return of hot and dangerous conditions late this week. The first hints of the financial toll from the disaster began to emerge on Tuesday.
The Insurance Council of Australia said the estimated damage bill had doubled in two days, with insurance claims reaching $700 million ($485 million).
Australia's government has said it is willing to pay "whatever it takes" to help communities recover from deadly wildfires that have ravaged the country.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the government was committing an extra two billion Australian dollars (£1 billion) towards the recovery effort in addition to the tens of millions of dollars that have already been promised.
"The fires are still burning. And they'll be burning for months to come," Mr Morrison said.
Firefighter for Fire & Rescue New South Wales based in Sydney and star of ‘Bondi Rescue’ Trent Maxwell speaks to Darryl Morris about witnessing the devastation.
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