Large swaths of southern New South Wales in Australia were threatened Wednesday by raging flames, the severity of which has surprised even veteran firefighters.
"It's about the worst
I've ever experienced in just-on 60 years of firefighting," said Capt.
Jim Simpson with the New South Wales Rural Fire Service.
Outside the town of Yass,
flames swept rapidly across more than 16,000 hectares (40,000 acres) of
farmland and up to the fence around Catherine Frith's house, where its
march was halted.
"The firefighters were amazing," she said. "There must have been about 60 trucks come in."
Her sheep did not fare as well. "We know about 500 sheep have died -- or are being shot at the moment," she said.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- NEW: "It's about the worst I've ever experienced in just-on 60 years," firefighter says
- NEW: Hundreds of New South Wales farmer's sheep die in fires
- The weather has been unforgiving across Australia in recent days
- Fires have scorched 350,000 hectares (more than 1,350 square miles) of the state
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