In photos: Deadly wildfires trigger state of emergency declarations in eastern Australia

Firefighters tackle a wildfire that's threatening a home in Taree, north of Sydney. Photo: Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images

Authorities in the Australian eastern states of New South Wales and Queensland have declared a state of emergency as they braced for "catastrophic" wildfire conditions, Reuters reports.

Why it matters: The fires have killed at least three people and razed over 150 homes, per the New York Times. Thousands have fled the blazes, reports the BBC, which noted Sunday night ET that more than 120 wildfires were still burning. Smoke and dust from the fires turned the skies of New Zealand's South Island "red and orange," Stuff reported Sunday. Forecasters say more could still reach NZ.

There are currently 81 fires burning in NSW and the smoke has reached New Zealand. Feels like I’ve ended up in a Mad Max scene with stormy skies to the east! #nswfires pic.twitter.com/eaWYs0eZ3l

— Dale Wowk (@dalewowkphoto) November 9, 2019

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Fire burns near the small town of Deepwater, near Glen Innes in northern New South Wales. Photo: Brook Mitchell/Getty Images

A dehydrated and injured Koala receives treatment at the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital in Port Macquarie, Nov. 2. Photo: Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images

Wildfires burn in the distance as children play on a beach in Forster, north of Sydney, Nov. 9. Photo: Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison comforts 85-year-old Owen Whalan at an evacuation center in Taree, Nov. 10. Photo: Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images

An aerial photo of the fires over northeastern New South Wales, Nov. 9. Photo: Tom Bannigan/AFP via Getty Images

The remains of a house destroyed by fire in Old Bar, north of Sydney, Nov. 10. Photo: Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images

A fire rages in Bobin, north of Sydney, Nov. 9. Photo: Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images