Ships and helicopters from the Australian Defence Force have been deployed to East Gippsland in an effort to rescue thousands of people who have been stranded on a beach by out of control bushfires.
In Mallacoota, Victoria, around 4,000 people sought shelter on the coast.
Two more people have been confirmed dead in NSW, bringing the fire-linked death toll to 12.
Authorities say four people are missing in Victoria and another in NSW.
“We’ve got literally hundreds, thousands of people up and down the coast, taking refuge on the beaches,” said Shane
Fitzsimmons, commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service.
Mr. Fitzsimmons said it was “the worst fire season we have experienced here in NSW”.
Reynolds has agreed to send military aircraft and vessels at the request of the Victorian government.
The Australian Defence Force will send Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and navy vessels to Victoria and NSW, the two worst-affected regions.
The military is expected to provide humanitarian assistance and carry out evacuations if needed in the coming days.
The US and Canada have also been asked to provide “specialist aviation resources” to help the emergency effort.
The bodies of the latest victims – believed to be a father and son – were found in the town of Corbargo in NSW.
In Mallacoota, the local fire service said a change in wind direction had taken the worst of the fires away from the town.
Several holiday spots along the coast have been cut off and the main road in the region – the Princes Highway – has been closed.
Temperatures exceeded 40C (104F) in every state and territory at the start of the week, with strong winds and lightning strikes bolstering the flames.
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