"Mega fire" on the way to Sydney: The firefighters tried to stop the fire - which got out of control

Buildings were damaged and access to major roads was cut off after the flames spread after unsuccessful efforts to extinguish them. Australia's meteorological service predicts that record highs will break, given the heat wave that is increasing Sydney's fire from three directions. "We can't contain the fire"

"Mega fire" on the way to Sydney: The firefighters tried to stop the fire - which got out of control

Action to extinguish fires in Eastern Australia was out of control, causing damage to buildings and cut off access to major roads - authorities said Monday, while the state is expected to experience another heat wave that may break heat records.

The incident happened about 250 miles northwest of Sydney, where firefighters tried to stop a fire that burned about 3,780 square miles from reaching homes through pre-controlled fires.

We have seen a dramatic change in conditions, fire, and unusual behavior of that fire, and that fire has spread, "New South Wales Fire Services Commissioner Sean Fitzsimons said today, adding that dozens of buildings were destroyed in the area, but no injuries were reported.

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More about the fires in Sydney

The flames are approaching the city. The fire on the outskirts of Sydney (Photo: Nina Lipscomb)

Forest fires on the outskirts of Sydney, Australia, December 2019 (Photo: Nina Lipscomb, official website)

At least four people have perished in fires, which have destroyed more than 680 homes and contained about 12,140 miles of forests across eastern Australia since early November.

Forest fires are common during Australia's hot and dry months, but their intensity and early start this year are unprecedented. Experts said climate change has left the forest land dry and flammable. Fire foci, which are self-extinguishing, are weathered by the wind, and have formed into what the authorities call "mega-fire" progressing to Sydney from the north, west and south. As a result, residents were evacuated from their homes, and heavy smog periodically swept the biggest city in the country.

The meteorological service warned of severe to extreme heat conditions in the interior areas of the southeastern state, and temperatures are expected to approach or even cross the national high of 40.3 degrees.

"We saw a significant heat wave created in the skies of Western Australia last week, and this heat wave is now moving east, leading to some unusually hot days," said Blair Troyn, climate service expert. "We are closely monitoring the evolution and progress of this heat wave, but based on current forecasts we expect this peak to break this week."

The Fire Service Commissioner said the heat wave would exacerbate the danger from the fire, "And despite most of everyone's moms, we won't be able to contain their fires we expect later this week."