Up to 100 fires burning across Australian state

CANBERRA. November 21. KAZINFORM. Up to 100 fires are burning across New South Wales (NSW) as a large swathe of the state begins a day of total fire bans, local media reports Saturday; Kazinform refers to Xinhua.

    The NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) says more extreme heat is on the way, propelling the "difficult and challenging" conditions for firefighters on Saturday.

    The fires were moving slowly late on Friday as crews worked with heavy machinery to establish containment lines.

    No homes are under threat at present, but residents of Bilpin and Mountain Lagoon are advised to activate their bushfire survival plans.

 Firefighters worked overnight to construct containment lines which will be strengthened with the use of heavy machinery and aircraft on Saturday.

   Record-breaking hot temperatures, storms and wild winds on Friday sparked and fueled a series of bushfires, mostly in remote and inaccessible terrain in the Blue Mountains, the Hawksbury region and the state's northeast; Kazinform cites Xinhua. See www.news.xinhuanet.com for full version.