Fires continue to rage but hopes are raised for better conditions

The crisis is at its most acute in New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia and they're raising the difficult question at administrative, and even diplomatic, levels. Firefighters continue to fight on multiple fronts in New South Wales. Almost a dozen fires are flaring up around the state, with those of most concern being north of Coonabarabran in the state's north, and another in a remote region of the Blue Mountains.

Burnt letterboxes at Clifton Creek near Bairnsdale, Vic Source: Getty Images AsiaPac