PM Scott Morrison pays tribute to firefighter killed by wildfires

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Sunday paid tribute to Bill Slade, a firefighter who was killed by a falling tree while battling the wildfire crisis overnight.

Slade, one of the few professionals among mainly volunteer brigades battling blazes across southeast Australia, died on Saturday near Omeo in eastern Victoria state, Forest Fire Management Victoria officials said.

The 60-year-old married father of two was in November commended for 40 years' service with the forestry agency.

The tragedy brings the death toll to at least 28 people in a crisis that has destroyed more than 2,000 homes and scorched an area larger than the US state of Indiana since September.

Four of the casualties were firefighters.

Morrison said the death was a "terrible tragedy". He also said his government was adapting and building resilience to the fire danger posed by climate change.

He announced that 76 million Australian dollars (approx. 52 million US dollars) would be spent on providing psychological counselling for firefighters and fire-effected communities as part of a previously-announced 2 billion Australian dollars (approx. 1.4 billion US dollars) recovery fund.

"There has been a deep scar in the landscape that has been left right across our country. But I am also very mindful, as is the government, of the very real scars that will be there for quite a period of time to come for those who've been exposed to the trauma of these bushfires", Morrison said.

While the fire threat is most acute in rural communities, wildfire smoke that has choked some of Australia's largest cities is a reminder to many urban Australians of the unfolding disaster.

Sydney's famous harbour was again shrouded in thick smoke haze blown in from the wildfires across the state.