The latest on the NSW and Queensland bushfires
NSW:
* 83 fires burning across the state, 50 uncontained
* More than 200 homes severely damaged, about 160 of them destroyed
* More than 1.1 million hectares burned or burning - that's more than the combined total for the past three bushfire seasons
* Statewide total fire ban remains in place
* Catastrophic fire danger rating has been lowered to "very high" for the Greater Sydney, Hunter and Illawarra/Shoalhaven regions
* Very high fire danger ratings are in effect for the southern and central ranges and northwestern, northern slopes, north coast and far north coast regions
* Armidale is one notch higher, with a fire danger rating of "severe"
* 3000 firefighters deployed or on standby, 80 aircraft at the ready, 400 fire trucks in the field
* 13 firefighters were injured during Tuesday's catastrophic conditions, none of the injuries were life-threatening
* Eight members of the public were also treated on Tuesday
* Three people dead since Friday
* Hundreds of school remain closed
* Authorities warn it could take "many months" to bring all the fires under control and declare them safe unless there's rain
QLD:
* 14 homes lost since late last week
* 13 destroyed at Cobraball near Yeppoon in central Queensland; one at Cooroibah near Noosa
* 61 fires burning ahead of dangerous wind change on Wednesday
* Temperatures near some fire grounds to reach 6-8 degrees above average
* Severe fire danger for the Southeast Coast including Brisbane and the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, the drought-stricken Darling Downs and Granite Belt, and the Wide Bay and Burnett region
* New fire front threatening Spicers Peak Lodge in the Scenic Rim region west of Brisbane; leave now warning in place
* The Cobraball fire near Yeppoon in central Queensland continues to burn out of control
* State of fire emergency in force across 42 local government areas, total ban on outdoor fires and activities that can spark fires.
Australian Associated Press
