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Head over to the news.com.au homepage for the latest updates on the bushfires.
NSW, Qld bushfires: Students' incredible act for firefighters
Two young NSW school children have written a letter to their school after coming up with an adorable plan to help our firefighters
Weather conditions that have stoked and started bushfires across Queensland are not letting up and are set to become extreme in some parts of the state.
More than 70 fires were burning across the state on Saturday evening, with emergency warnings in place at Ravensbourne, north of Toowoomba, and at Mount Lindesay, near the Queensland and NSW border.
Conditions should ease on Monday before worsening by Wednesday.
In NSW, homes continue to be destroyed by bushfires despite conditions remaining below the extreme fire danger level.
The NSW Rural Fire Service has warned against complacency as it confirmed another 44 homes had been destroyed by bushfire since November 8. Fire danger ratings on Sunday are severe in four northern NSW regions and very high in the Greater Sydney, Greater Hunter, Central Ranges and North Coast regions.
Updates
Schoolkids' sweet act to fire 'superheroes'
People around the country are working to show their appreciation for our hardworking firefighters and help victims, with some school children planning something extra special.
Students from Grafton High School arranged for schools to hold a gold-coin donation mufti day to raise money for those affected by the fires.
The Grafton schools network Director Meghanne Wellard said she was delighted but not surprised at the students’ initiative, which involved at least 15 schools and raised $7,000 for the local Rural Fire Service.
“This is a clear reflection of the strength of school communities in the Clarence,” said Ms Wellard.
“Nearly all our students will have been affected by, or know someone close to them who has been affected by the fires."
Students and staff from the school gathered on the oval to spell out "RFS" with two hearts to show their appreciation.
And it isn't just the older kids getting involved, two young siblings at Bankstown West Public School decided to come up with their own way of helping.
Katie and Brandon, who are in Kindergarten and Year 1, were being driven home from school by their mother Kim Ly when they asked why the sky was full of smoke.
"I told them about the fires and when we got home showed them some pictures of what the firefighters were going through,” Mrs Ly said.
“They were really concerned so I suggested they should do something to help.”
Kate and Brandon decided to write a letter to their school asking if they could raise money for the RFS.
“Me and Brandon think we should do a mufti day where we wear superhero costumes because the firefighters are the superheroes during the bushfires,” Katie wrote.
“We can call it ‘Help our Heroes Day’.”
The school agreed and will be holding a fundraising mufti day on November 26 with students asked to dress as a superhero.
Pictures: Department of Education NSW
Qld campers told to 'leave now'
Campers on an island off the coast of southeastern Queensland have been told to pack up and leave as a fire threatens a campsite.
The dangerous blaze is travelling in a southerly direction on Moreton Island, with the direction expected to change as the evening progresses.
"There is also potential for this fire to move unpredictably. It is expected to impact campsites right across Moreton Island in the coming hours and days," QFES said.
"The fire could have a significant impact on campers"
Tangalooma Island Resort is open to campers as a place of refuge.
Campers on the eastern side of the Island should travel on Southern Middle Road or Bulwer-Blue Lagoon Road towards the western side of the Island before progressing south along the beach to Tangalooma.
Campers on the western side of the Island should travel south along the beach, directly to Tangalooma.
Picture: Angela Topatig/Instagram
Reporter finds girl running through fire zone
A Nine reporter has told how she was driving through a fire zone in NSW when she came across a young girl running barefoot through the ashes.
Gabrielle Boyle said she and her camera operator, Jess, were gathering news for the Today Show in fire affected areas when they spotted the clearly distressed girl.
In an article for Nine, Ms Boyle said the girl, who had tears in her eyes, initially refused to tell them what had happened.
"With a bottle of water and some coaxing, the girl agreed to sit in our car," she wrote.
"In almost two decades reporting news, rarely had I seen anyone look this traumatised."
https://www.instagram.com/p/B46Aw7FAOqW
After about an hour the girl revealed she had a fight with her family who had been battling fires around their property for days.
Eventually they drove the girl back to her home with a convoy of police cars, after she refused to go just with the police.
"Later, her parents filled in the gaps. For a week the family of six had battled to save their home. The neighbour's house was gone. Animals were lost. So too were sheds," Ms Boyle wrote.
"But while the flames were gone, emotions still ran high. Nobody had slept in days, everything was filthy, and there was no electricity.
"So when the girl had accidentally dropped her mum's mobile phone into a dog bowl of water, her mother had snapped. Voices were raised and, in a panic, the teen ran."
Ms Boyle said before they left she gave the girl her phone number and told her to call if she ever needed to talk, which she said "felt like the right thing to do".
Warning over road closures as fires flare
Residents in Queensland's Toowoomba Region are being warned to take note of road closures in the area.
A fire on Esk Hampton Rd between Redbank Creek and Esk has been upgraded to Emergency Level.
The very fast-moving and unpredictable fire is travelling in an easterly direction towards Esk.
It is impacting parts of Esk Hampton Road, between Slaughter Road and the Esk Township.
The fire is expected to have a significant impact on the community.
Both ends of Rsk and Hampton Rd have been closed due to the threat of fire and smoke and is likely to remain closed for several hours.
Residents are being told to comply with directions of emergency service workers.
New air tanker to help with NSW fires
The NSW RFS has announced their new firefighting aircraft has completed its final tests and is ready to help bring blazes across the state under control.
The Very Large Air Tanker (VLAT) is now "fully operational" and will boost the state's firefighting capabilities.
As of 5pm there were still 62 fires burning across NSW, with 35 yet to be contained and seven at Watch and Act level.
More Qld residents told to flee
More Queensland residents have been told to evacuate, as a large bushfire threatens the rural area of Tarome.
The "unpredictable" blaze is moving towards Tarome and is expected to impact Ryan Road, Hinrichsen Road, Simmonds Road, Campsite Road and McGuire Road.
Residents have been warned the fire could have a "significant" impact on the community.
People are being urged to follow their bushfire survival plans and if they do not have a plan they have been told to leave now.
Those leaving the area should travel east on Tarome Road and head to Kalbar.
A place of refuge is open at the Kalbar School Of Arts Hall on Edward Street, Kalbar.
Giant hailstones battering parts of Qld as fires rage
Giant hailstones are battering Queensland's southeast, as an emergency level fire rages in another part of the state.
Here are some of the pictures and videos coming in.
Picture: Bianca Stone/Twitter
Qld fire upgraded to Emergency level
A bushfire in Queensland's Toowoomba Region has been upgraded to Emergency level, with residents being warned it will soon be too late to leave.
The "large, unpredictable and fast-moving bushfire" at Ravensbourne is part of the Pechey fire and is impacting Perseverance Dam Road, Mount Jockey Road, Horrex Road, Garvey Road, Purtill Road and McQuillan Road.
The fire has crossed Brennan Rd and is travelling easterly towards Regent Rd.
Residents on Brennan Road up to Regent Road should evacuate via Esk Hampton Road in an easterly direction towards Esk.
Those on and in the vicinity of Horrex Road and McQuillan Road should evacuate west along Esk Hampton Road towards the New England Highway.
Residents on and in the vicinity of Perseverance Dam Road should evacuate west towards Crows Nest.
"Conditions are now very dangerous and firefighters may soon be unable to prevent the fire advancing," the QFES said.
"The fire may pose a threat to all lives directly in its path. Fire crews may not be able to protect your property.
"You should not expect a firefighter at your door: act now."
'You are putting lives at risk': Residents told to listen to warnings
Residents have been warned to listen to directions from emergency service crews, with the Qld Deputy Police Commissioner revealing some have been putting workers in danger by refusing to leave.
Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said crews were met with resistance yesterday from homeowners who didn't want to evacuate.
"It is disappointing that we go into these high-risk areas to fight
fires and in some instances have to ask people to evacuate only to be met with resistance, which we had yesterday from some people," he said.
He said that, while it is understandable people want to protect their homes, that decision may mean other people are forced to put their lives on the line to save them should things get out of control.
"These very unpredictable conditions. Yesterday we saw new
fires emerge from nowhere with the passing of that storm and the lightning strike that resulted from that," Mr Gollschewski said.
"We were evacuating areas in Moreton Island within half-an-hour of that starting.
"People may think that they are safe and think that it is a good idea to stay behind, but we have experts that are looking at this and considering the risk.
"Those warnings are not given lightly. So please heed them. You are pretty emergency services workers' lives at risk when they need to go to get people to move on."
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