More than 135 fires are still burning across New South Wales, and Australian authorities say almost 70 of those blazes are out of control. Two people have been reported missing in remote parts of the region, while across the country there have been 24 fatalities and close to two thousand homes destroyed as the bush fires torch millions of hectares. While rain and cooler temperatures over the weekend did help some flame-threatened communities, officials have warned the rain won’t put out the largest and most dangerous blazes before conditions deteriorate again.
