A volunteer firefighter has described how he carried on saving others knowing his own home was burning.
Russell Scholes, blaze-tackling in Balmoral, New South Wales, has relived his brutal experience of the .
The country is being ravaged by the fires which have killed nine people and ripped through hundreds of homes since September.
One of those belonged to Mr Scholes, who has revealed he knew his home was being destroyed as he battled to save others' properties.
He told the BBC that protecting the community was more important than what happened to his house.
"We were told we were defending properties, and if the properties are on fire then you move to the next property," he said.
"It would have made it more difficult to do my job if I would have come to the house. Out of sight out of mind.
"We had jobs to do, so I came back in the morning. That made me cry. I loved the house, but you have got to go and do what you've got to do.
"I had taken everything of value out before, so it was just the building.
"My family and my animals are safe and we have protected the community - for me, that is more important than the house."
Australia's under-fire Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he will not make "reckless" cuts to the nation's coal industry.
The vow comes despite criticism of his response to climate change and the bushfire crisis.
But Morrison has apologised for going on holiday in Hawaii this week while the crisis worsened.
"I deeply regret any offence caused to any of the many Australians affected by the terrible bushfires by my taking leave with family at this time," he said on Friday.
