3,000 Army Reservists Will Be Deployed To Help Fight Bushfires

Up to 3,000 Australian Defence Force reservists will be called up to fire-affected communities across Australia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Saturday, initiating a military response to some of the worst fires the nation has seen.

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Reservists from Adelaide and Brisbane will be deployed across the nation to fire-affected locations and communities.

The HMAS Adelaide, Australia's largest defence ship, will also be deployed to the border between Victoria and New South Wales, where the fires are near their worst.

“Today's decision puts more boots on the ground, puts more planes in the sky, puts more ships at sea, and puts more trucks to roll in to support affected communities,” Morrison said on Saturday.

The weather is expected to worsen conditions on Saturday, with emergency warnings in place across much of Victoria and New South Wales.

Scorching temperatures have hit New South Wales, with Penrith breaking its all-time temperature record at 47.8 degrees, while strong winds are sweeping across Victoria due to a cool change.