Ugo Tolone, local district manager for the Rural Fire Service, said the blaze “was quite serious at the moment,” according to 9news.com.

The flames have already burned hundreds of hectares since yesterday.

Emergency services say the situation is far from over in Bulahdelah, as temperatures are forecast to reach around 30 degrees Celsius, exacerbating the problem.

Authorities have issued heatwave warnings for parts of New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Queensland, and Western Australia.

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