Sydney, December 7, 2025 – The Europe Today: Intense bushfires sweeping through Australia’s New South Wales have scorched thousands of hectares of bushland, prompting authorities to issue the highest-level evacuation warnings for residents in the country’s most populous state, according to media reports.
The emergency alert covered the Phegans Bay and Woy Woy areas on the state’s central coast, home to more than 350,000 people and located roughly 45 kilometres north of Sydney, Australia’s largest city.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported that as many as 16 homes had been destroyed as bushfires burned across the region.
The New South Wales Rural Fire Service (RFS) urged residents to evacuate immediately, stating on its website: “Leave now if the path is clear towards Woy Woy.” The Bureau of Meteorology warned that a heatwave bringing temperatures of up to 42°C had intensified fire risks in the area.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called on citizens to follow official guidance, saying, “Please look out for each other and follow advice from authorities.”
Authorities said that more than 50 bushfires were burning across New South Wales late yesterday, including a major blaze in the Upper Hunter region, which was also at the highest emergency rating and had already burned nearly 10,000 hectares.
Officials have cautioned that Australia faces a high-risk bushfire season this summer after several relatively quiet years.
