Bushfires burn down Russell Crowe's property in Australia, family safe

Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe lost two buildings on a rural property in the bushfires raging across Australia’s east coast. Russell Crowe took to Twitter to inform his fans that he was not in Australia when his house got scorched in the fires and that his family was safe with friends. Crowe also shared a video of a helicopter water-bombing smoke-filled trees with the caption “Top shot son!”.

Read: Helicopter Crashes During Australia Bushfire Operation

State of emergency

At least 50 homes have been damaged or destroyed in the bushfires on November 12, but no loss of human life reported. Australian authorities had declared a state of emergency in Queensland and New South Wales (NSW) as the eastern region was hit by ferocious bushfires. New South Wales (NSW) Rural Fire Service said that there were 19 fires which reached Emergency Warning level on November 12, with 16 fires reaching the level at the same. 

The agency also posted a video of the southern edge of the Rumba Dump fire to give a sense of the scale of the fires their crews have been dealing with. “Although conditions have eased today, the fire is at Watch and Act level. Residents in the area should monitor conditions,” said the fire service.

Read: Australia's Intense Bushfires Spread Across The Rural Areas Of Sydney

'Tinder box-like conditions'

A statewide total fire ban was declared for all areas of NSW for all of Monday and Tuesday while a state of fire emergency was declared across 42 Local Government Areas in Queensland until revoked. Such a declaration prohibits the lighting of all types of outdoor fires and bans certain activities that can cause fires to ignite. 

"We're experiencing tinder box-like conditions across much of the state and all it takes is one spark to start a fire that may burn for days," said Mike Wassing, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) Acting Commissioner.

"This declaration is vital to prevent bushfires breaking out and posing a danger to lives and property," he added.

Read: Neighbourhoods Turn Pink As Aircraft Combats Bushfires In Australia

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(With agency inputs)