All six Australian states are simultaneously on high fire alert as extreme weather stokes dangerous conditions across the country:
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NEW SOUTH WALES
* Six lives and 612 houses destroyed this bushfire season.
* 55 fires still burning across NSW, 31 uncontained.
* 1750 firefighters battling blazes.
* Winds of up to 60km/h forecast across southern border region.
* 12 total fire bans across the state.
* High temperatures expected for northern NSW on Friday.
VICTORIA
* State's highest bushfire warning - code red - issued on Thursday for the first time in almost a decade.
* Fires bearing down on central Victorian towns Clunes, Bonn and Strathallan, with residents told it's too late to leave.
* Temperatures hitting high 30's, tipping 40C in central Victoria and Melbourne.
* Cool change expected to ease conditions in the afternoon.
QUEENSLAND
* 67 fires burning out of control, officials concerned about three.
* Fire front stretches across 100km.
* 20 houses destroyed in the past fortnight.
* Cooler temperatures expected to ease conditions on Thursday afternoon.
* High or very high bushfire danger to persist for rest of the week.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
* State facing catastrophic bushfire conditions for second day in a row.
* One bushfire burning out of control on the Yorke Peninsula.
* 33 people injured on Wednesday and towns evacuated.
* 11 properties affected by the fires, but full extent of destruction unknown.
* Conditions easing today and tomorrow with cool northeasterly wind change expected.
TASMANIA
* Parts of east coast and midlands facing extreme bushfire rating.
* Cool change expected to ease conditions this afternoon.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
* Catastrophic fire warning issued for southern interior parts of the state.
Australian Associated Press