Sydney - Australian fire fighters were still battling to contain more than 100 bushfires yesterday with the biggest having burnt out 247,000 acres in New South Wales. About 3,000 volunteer firefighters were tackling 175 fires in New South Wales, the worst hit state, while 40 small fires were contained in Victoria, authorities said.
Bushfires reached the outer limits of Sydney early today, enveloping the city in a dirty grey blanket of smog and smoke as firefighters issued an extreme fire danger notice and banned the lighting of fires.
Lightning strikes sparked serious forest fires across three states during the past week. Most were extinguished with the help of the weather and water-bombing. The biggest blaze is still out of control, north of Coonabarabran.
Meanwhile early this morning, the Australian government refused to say whether it would follow through with its election threat after some substantial changes to its Aboriginal land rights legislation. The Prime Minister, Mr John Howard, has said the government would call an early poll if the Senate amended the controversial bill, which aims to end a bitter land rights row between Aborigines and farmers.