Latest photos of the devastating Australian bushfires
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Deadly bushfires are ravaging the Australian landscape, so far destroying 1,200 homes across New South Wales and Victoria.
This week the fires have razed at least 381 homes in New South Wales and 43 in Victoria, with at least 17 people missing.
The leader of NSW has declared a week-long state of emergency, starting this Friday.
Here are pictures from the past few days.
The declared state of emergency will allow local authorities to carry out forced evacuations, road closures "and anything else we need to do as a state to keep our residents and to keep property safe", NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Thursday.
High temperatures and strong winds are forecast for the weekend, leading to "widespread extreme fire danger".
Fire officials have told holidaymakers to urgently leave a 260km (160-mile) stretch of the NSW coast before Saturday.
The deaths in NSW include:
Two people found in separate cars on Wednesday morning
A father and son who stayed behind to defend their home and farm equipment
A 28-year-old volunteer firefighter who was killed when wind flipped over his fire engine
In December, Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison cut short his holiday to Hawaii amid growing criticism of his leadership during the bushfire crisis.
This week he had to cut short another visit - to a fire-hit town when he was heckled by angry residents.
Mogo Zoo (above), managed to save all its animals, with monkeys, pandas and even a tiger housed at one keeper's home.
The Australian government has been facing criticism over its climate policies as the country deals with the devastating bushfires.
Australia is one of the world's biggest per capita greenhouse gas emitters.
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