Thick Smoke Rises From Greta Fire in New South Wales

Thick smoke rose from a fire at Greta in the Hunter region of New South Wales amid dangerous fire conditions across the state on November 13.

Firefighters were battling at least 65 bush and grass fires up and down the state’s east coast on Wednesday after Tuesday brought “catastrophic” conditions.

Although risks had eased, state fire commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said it would be months before fires were contained unless there was rain and many schools remained closed after shutting down on Tuesday.

Increased fire activity had been impacting NSW communities since November 8. As of Wednesday, at least three people had died and a number were missing, while hundreds of properties were damaged. Credit: George Alves via Storyful