At least 57 bush fires are raging in eastern Australia, including 14 that aren't contained, officials said.

The unrelenting blazes have now scorched more than 109,000 hectares (269,000 acres) in eastern Australia, said Matt Sun, spokesman for the New South Wales Rural Fire Service.

The situation is so bad that New South Wales Premier Barry O'Farrell declared a state of emergency for the state, which includes Sydney. The declaration gives firefighters special authority as conditions worsen.

"These powers include the right to order the public to leave or to enter an area, the right to shore up or demolish a building, and of course it also prevents people from disobeying an order given under these powers," O'Farrell said Sunday.

About 1,300 firefighters were tackling the blazes Sunday evening.

At least one fatality has been reported. Walter Lindner, 63, died of a suspected heart attack on Friday while defending his home against a blaze on the New South Wales Central Coast, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Hundreds of homes burned in Australia

reported.

Lindner collapsed while working alongside his neighbor to save his heritage-listed homestead, according to ABC.....

for more, see source: http://on.cnn.com/18yJDiI

They have a lot of fires, but with the earth temperature going from hot to damn hot!... also do you know that reptiles get larger as the earth gets warmer! they are coldblooded and need heat to move but with a lot of heat, they also grow faster and larger..


we are goin to be seeing some huge assed crocs and snakes!!