Iran Press/Asia: At least 43 homes were destroyed in East Gippsland, Victoria, while another 176 were lost in New South Wales. On Tuesday, thousands of people who were unable to evacuate fled to beaches as fires encircled their towns.
Conditions have eased slightly, and a major road that was closed in Victoria was reopened for two hours on Wednesday to allow people to leave, BBC reported.
But in the early hours of New Year's Day, there were still 112 fires burning in New South Wales. In Victoria, there were 45 bushfire warnings with one emergency - later downgraded to a "watch and act" warning.
Earlier on Wednesday, New South Wales Rural Fire Service said 916 homes had been destroyed this fire season, with another 363 damaged, and 8,159 saved.
Australia has launched a major operation to reach thousands of people stranded in seaside towns after deadly bushfires ripped through popular tourist areas on New Year's Eve.
As emergency-level fires spread, thousands of people fled to beaches in the southeastern states of New South Wales and Victoria, the two worst-affected regions. Navy ships and military aircraft were deployed alongside the emergency crew on Wednesday to provide humanitarian relief and assess the damage from the bushfire. The total death toll of the fire reached 12, with more than 1,000 homes destroyed and 5.5 million hectares scorched.
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