STORY: Wildfires in Australia's New South Wales burnt through thousands of hectares of bushland on Saturday (December 6), prompting the authorities to urge evacuations at the highest danger rating for thousands of residents in the nation's most-populous state.

At a news conference in Sydney, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said 12 homes were damaged or destroyed as bushfires burned through Koolewong, about 45 km (30 miles) north of the state capital Sydney, Australia’s largest city.

More than 70 bushfires were burning across the state late on Saturday, the authorities said, including a blaze in the state's Upper Hunter area, also at the highest emergency rating, which had burnt through almost 10,000 hectares (25,000 acres).

Authorities have warned of a high-risk bush fire season this Australian summer after several quiet seasons. The "Black Summer" fires of 2019-2020 destroyed an area the size of Turkey and killed 33 people.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: KOOLEWONG, AUSTRALIA (DECEMBER 6, 2025) (NETWORK TEN – Broadcast: No use Australia. Digital: No use Australia / .com.au internet sites / any internet site of any Australia based media organisations or mobile platforms / Australian NVO clients / smh.com.au / news.com.au)

1. FIRE BURNING THROUGH HOUSE

2. VARIOUS OF BUSHFIRE BURNING BEHIND PROPERTIES

3. CARS PARKED ALONG ROAD / ROW OF HOUSES ON FIRE

4. FIREFIGHTING AIRCRAFT DROPPING WATER ON FIRE

5. VARIOUS OF RESIDENTS EVACUATING

6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNIDENTIFIED HOMEOWNER IMPACTED BY FIRE, SAYING:

“So you had no time to even think, lucky I’ve got a motorhome, we got that out so we’ve got somewhere in the interim to stay. We’ve got two of our cars still stuck over there, we’ll try to retrieve them later. Start again. We’ve lost everything, all we’ve got left is what we’re wearing.”

7. VARIOUS OF HOUSES ON FIRE

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (DECEMBER 6, 2025) (AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION – Broadcast: No use Australia. Digital: No use Australia / .com.au internet sites / any internet site of any Australia based media organisations or mobile platforms / Australian NVO clients / smh.com.au / news.com.au)

8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW SOUTH WALES PREMIER, CHRIS MINNS, SAYING:

“I just wanted to speak about a few things. As it stands there are 75 bushfires in New South Wales, 19 uncontained fires across the state, that includes, or that’s been managed or fought with 300 vehicles currently deployed by the RFS (Rural Fire Service) across New South Wales.”

KOOLEWONG, AUSTRALIA (DECEMBER 6, 2025) (NETWORK TEN – Broadcast: No use Australia. Digital: No use Australia / .com.au internet sites / any internet site of any Australia based media organisations or mobile platforms / Australian NVO clients / smh.com.au / news.com.au)

9. PERSON HOSING DOWN ROOF

10. VARIOUS OF SMOKE RISING FROM BUSHLAND

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (DECEMBER 6, 2025) (AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION – Broadcast: No use Australia. Digital: No use Australia / .com.au internet sites / any internet site of any Australia based media organisations or mobile platforms / Australian NVO clients / smh.com.au / news.com.au)

11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW SOUTH WALES PREMIER, CHRIS MINNS, SAYING:

“Obviously the situation in Koolewong is devastating for the people who have lost their houses. We’ve got confirmed, a confirmed situation of 12 damaged or destroyed homes as it currently stands, though that number may rise. There are no reports of missing, injured or killed individuals as it currently stands which is good news.”

KOOLEWONG, AUSTRALIA (DECEMBER 6, 2025) (NETWORK TEN – Broadcast: No use Australia. Digital: No use Australia / .com.au internet sites / any internet site of any Australia based media organisations or mobile platforms / Australian NVO clients / smh.com.au / news.com.au)

12. FIREFIGHTER HOSING DOWN HOUSE

13. FIRE BURNING IN HOUSE

14. FIRE TRUCK PARKED NEAR FIRE