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More lives have been claimed and more homes burned, as Australia's devastating bush fire season continues.
As of Wednesday, authorities confirmed that seven have died -- six in New South Wales and one in Victoria -- and one person remains missing in south-east Australia as a fire rages its way toward the coastline.
Among the dead were two people found in their separate cars, and a father and son who had stayed within the fire zone to defend their property. A fireman died after his engine was flipped by cyclonic winds.
Mick Robertson, who had been reported as missing on Monday, was confirmed to have been found dead near his home in Buchan Tuesday via family members.
"Very sad day for us to (start) the year but we're a bloody tight family and we will never forget our mate and my beautiful Uncle Mick," posted Robertson's niece Leah Parson on Facebook, the BBC reported Wednesday.
In addition, 200 homes in the area have burned to the ground, and several have been hospitalized with burns.
Across the fire season entire, 18 people have been killed so far with 916 homes have been destroyed across the country. About 363 houses have been damaged, according to the New South Wales Rural Fire Service, while 8,159 have been rescued.
The smoke from the fires have tinted the sky orange in New South Wales, and the smoke is visible from 1,200 miles away in New Zealand.
"Yesterday morning I think the fire moved at a pace no one expected ... It's devastating," said New South Wales Transport Minister, Andrew Constance, during a Wednesday morning press conference.
The fire danger is not over, as temperatures are expected to rise on Saturday and wind speeds to pick up, making the situation just as dangerous as it was over New Year's Day. "At the very least, weather conditions will be at least as bad as what they were yesterday," said New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian to the BBC.
The New South Wales fire service has issued a warning telling tourists to evacuate the south coast ahead of this weekend. Conditions and road closures have already left some citizens stuck in rural areas of New South Wales without means for emergency crews to reach them, said New South Wales rural fire commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons to the BBC.
"We haven't been able to get access via roads or via aircraft -- it's been socked in [runways have been closed] or too dangerous."
Power outages, road blocks, food and fuel shortages are also plaguing the region.
