A state of emergency has been declared around Australia's capital city, Canberra, as bushfires rage out of control.
At least two people have died and dozens have been injured in the fires.
Thousands of people have been evacuated from the worst-affected regions, and troops are being deployed to help exhausted firefighters battle the blazes.
The fires have also broken out in the neighbouring state of New South Wales.
The emergency services say they were stretched to the limit by the intensity of firestorms that struck after bush fires had burned for days on the outskirts of the city and in the mountains to the south and west.
High temperatures and strong, dry winds threaten to make the situation even worse.
Elsewhere, in Victoria the army has been called in to help 2,000 firefighters tackle a series of outbreaks.
Hundreds of holidaymakers and residents at the ski resort of Mount Hotham in Victoria have been forced to leave, while other townships have been closed.
Parts of New South Wales are facing their worst wildfire emergency in 50 years.
