Troops Called to Tackle Australia Fires

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced 3,000 troops will be deployed to help tackle raging bushfires across the country.

Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Mr Morrison told reporters: "We have seen this disaster escalate to an entirely new level," reports BBC.

Mr Morrison also announced A$20m (£10m) has been allocated to lease four water bomber planes.

Defense Minister Linda Reynolds said this is the first time this has happened in Australia's history.

Dozens of people are missing and some 1,500 homes have already been lost this fire season.

Authorities in south-east Australia are bracing for a weekend of high temperatures and strong winds, which are threatening to worsen bushfire conditions across the country.

Temperatures are expected to soar above 40C (104F) in parts of south-east Australia on Saturday. Officials warned that it is set to be a "dangerous day".

Since September, fires in Australia have killed at least 23 people.