THE set for the popular television series Home and Away has been destroyed in the bushfires ravaging Australia.

Powerful fireballs destroyed homes and cars on the outskirts of Sydney today as 3,000 firefighters battled the advancing flames.

Hundreds of firefighters battled into the night as bush fires raged out of control through tinder-dry suburban bushland around Sydney’s fringes, destroying at least 20 homes.

At least 30 bush fires broke out around Sydney today, closing roads and railway lines, and threatening hundreds of homes.

WILDFIRES broke out in forestland around Sydney as high temperatures and gusting winds fanned more than 100 blazes in eastern Australia, officials said yesterday.

Wildfires broke out in forestland around Sydney as high temperatures and gusting winds fanned more than 100 blazes in eastern Australia, officials said today.

Australian officials have declared that the worst of the 16-day bushfire crisis is over.

Weary firefighters sang and danced today after heavy rain doused many bush fires that had burned out of control across Australia’s most populous state for two weeks.

Hot, dry and swirling winds fanned more than 100 uncontrollable bush fires and smoke clouds towered over Australia’s largest city today as angry officials vowed to punish arsonists, many of them children.

Thick smoke billowed over Australia’s largest city today as forest fires raged in and around Sydney, stretching a 20,000-strong firefighting force to its limit and threatening hundreds of homes.

Helicopters dumped water and firefighters filled buckets from backyard swimming pools in a desperate battle to save homes from a wildfire that raged through Sydney’s suburbs today.

Cool weather today allowed 15,000 firefighters to contain many of the wildfires that have been burning out of control across Australia’s most populous state.

Five people have now been arrested in connection with starting fires in the Sydney area.

Police have arrested three youths for allegedly lighting bush fires south of Sydney as blazes continued to wreak havoc across Australia’s most populous state.

Police are investigating whether arsonists are behind many of the wildfires that have destroyed homes near Sydney.

At least 75 bush fires are burning out of control around Sydney and across Australia's most populous state.

More than 50 bush fires are raging around the state of New South Wales today, including one only miles from Parliament House in Canberra.