Traumatised evacuees board an amphibious landing craft as they flee the wildfires surrounding their coastal town.
The Royal Australian Navy picked up more than 1,000 people who had been on the beach at Mallacoota, Victoria, since Monday.
MV Sycamore and HMAS Choules then took them on a 16-hour voyage to the town of Western Port. With roads cut off, the military also rescued around 60 people by helicopter, but thick smoke ruled out further air evacuations.
As local MP Darren Chester called it an “unprecedented mass relocation of civilians”, there were fears the wildfires could worsen, with searing temperatures and high winds forecast.
New South Wales Rural Fire Service deputy commissioner Rob Rogers warned fires move “frighteningly quick” due to extreme conditions.
He said: “We are unfortunately very likely to lose homes on Saturday, but we will be very happy and call it a success if there are no lives lost.”
Mallacoota neighbours New South Wales, where more than 3,000 firefighters will be battling blazes today, with 500 more located at strategic points.
He said: “We are ready to respond to whatever the day throws at us.”
Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios broke down at the ATP Cup in Brisbane as he spoke about the bushfires, which have destroyed more than 1,300 homes and killed at least 18 people and 500 million animals.
Kyrgios, 24, is giving 200 dollars, around £106, to a relief fund for every ace.
After serving 20 to win his opening game against Jan-Lennard Struff, he said: “My home town is Canberra. We have the most toxic air in the world, so it’s pretty sad.”
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