Australia is currently battling raging fires in the east, and although conditions have improved since Tuesday when they were at a ‘catastrophic’ level, it is unlikely that conditions will improve over the coming months. Thursday morning, there were 70 fires burning in New South Wales, and 3 people died over the weekend along with the destruction of 200 homes. The Insurance Council of Australia stated that insured losses are estimated at $34 million USD, and this number is likely to continue to rise. 

In Queensland, 42 areas remain under a state of emergency that prohibits civilians from activities that could potentially start fires. The Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Acting Commissioner Mike Wassing stated that Queensland was experiencing “tinder-box” like conditions, in which one spark could start an entire fire. Multiple municipalities have been evacuated, some of them several times, over the past week. 

Read More: 4 Dead As ‘Tinder Box-Like Conditions’ Fuel Catastrophic Bushfires In Australia