HELL ON EARTH
THOUSANDS of stranded people will be rescued by army helicopters as deadly bushfires turned the skies blood red on Australia's southeast coast.
Around 4,000 people were trapped on the beach in Mallacoota, Victoria - ready to jump into the sea as the terrifying infernos were fanned by record-breaking heat.
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Haunting images show locals and holiday-makers trapped on New Year's Eve as the devastating wildfires continued to burn - turning daylight into an eerie red.
Aircraft including Black Hawks and Chinooks are being brought in to evacuate people from coastal areas, with many already taking to boats to escape the inferno.
It comes as the death toll from the fires continue to climb with a third volunteer firefighter, 28-year-old Samuel McPaul, killed while battling a fire in Green Valley. It's believed that the 10-tonne fire truck the father-to-be was inside rolled after being hit by "fire tornado".
A further two firefighters also suffered burns, according to New South Wales Rural Fire Service.
A father Robert Salway and his 29-year-old son Patrick were also killed while trying to defend their home as the blaze destroyed the historic NSW village of Cobargo.
Four people remain missing, with thirteen emergency warnings are currently in place across Victoria and New South Wales.
Victoria's Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp warned: "It's a high risk day for the state.
"Our state is dry, it's going to be very hot. Get out now. If you don't you've got to stay across the conditions."
The Victoria Government emergency warning system issued a red alert saying: "You are in danger and need to act immediately to survive."
It said: "The safest option is to take shelter indoors immediately. It is too late to leave."
On its website the service said, as a last resort, people should "shelter in the middle of a large open area like a ploughed paddock, football oval or sporting reserve," or try to "get into a large body of water like a dam, lake, river, the ocean or inground pool."
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About 30,000 tourists and 45,000 locals were told to flee East Gippsland on Sunday, prompting what would be one of the biggest evacuations in Australia's history.
An emergency warning was issued for a fire west of Goongerah, in East Gippsland, today and an evacuation order remains in place.
Emergency fire warnings were also issued for South Australia, New South Wales (NSW) and Tasmania with authorities warning all telecommunications will be lost on the NSW coast.
Richard Darby, who runs the Swifts Creek General Store in East Gippsland said ignoring the unprecedented warnings for an entire area to evacuate would be "suicide".
He told The Herald Sun: "It’s going to be a very bad day tomorrow, they are telling everyone to get out while they can."
East Gippsland Mayor John White said the forest was “as dry as I’ve ever seen it’’.
He added: “We’ve dodged this until now because we’ve had three years of drought.
“Hopefully people heed the messages. You can rebuild homes, sheds and fences but life is irreplaceable.’’
On Sunday, holiday park managers in the East Gippsland region said most people wanted to stay, and seemed unworried.
Iain Podd, staying at a park on the edge of the burning zone, told The Australian: "We know that some people have left, others are staying.
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"The receptionist here has told us that the direction of the wind means we won’t be affected. But of course we will move on if the situation changes."
And Michael Smits, from the Big 4 Whiters Holiday Village at Lakes Entrance, said only six out of 67 groups had evacuated.
He said: "Many people are saying that they’re going to hang about town, go to a cafe, perhaps go to the beach or wander up and down The Esplanade. There's certainly no panic."
Australia has been experiencing a record-breaking heatwave for the last two months, with average daily temperatures pushing into the high 40s.
Temperatures are expected to soar in Victoria today with strong winds whipping flames.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews yesterday posted a tweet urging tourists to leave.
He wrote: "If you are in East Gippsland you should leave today while it's safe to do so.
"Residents should activate their fire plan and consider staying with friends and family outside the area. If you are visiting, you should leave today. Please DO NOT travel to the area."
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Meanwhile, the New South Wales Rural Fire Service has approved the fireworks display in Sydney despite concerns over the bushfire threats.
In a statement, they confirmed: "The Sydney Harbour fireworks have been approved to proceed tomorrow.
"The NSW Rural Fire Service and Fire and Rescue NSW are assessing a number of other Total Fire Ban exemptions."
Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison had insisted the display would go ahead, saying he wanted to show "how optimistic and positive" Australia was in the face of the tragedy.
However, hundreds of thousands of people had signed a petition calling for the display to be cancelled - instead wanting the money to be spent fighting fires.
The heat has exacerbated the bushfires that now cover an area across Australia's southeast coastline that is over a third of the size of England.
Nearly 1,000 homes, including entire towns, have been destroyed and at least nine people have been killed including firefighters Geoffrey Keaton and Andrew O'Dwyer who died while fighting infernos south of Sydney.
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