Active bushfires affecting a 3,000 square mile area of New South Wales, Australia are shown in this Overview. The massive burn accounts for just a portion of the 38,000 square miles that have already been engulfed by the historic burn. This coastal area of the country contains eucalyptus trees, which release volatile oils when burned, thereby creating massive embers than can quickly jump to other areas of the forest. Climate conditions have not helped matters – the warmest year in Australian history combined with lowest rainfall since 1900 created the dry conditions for the blaze. As Australia awaits the monsoon season to move south from South East Asia, firefighters and volunteers continue to try everything in their power to stop the continued spread. With 500 million animals estimated to have been killed so far, the fires continue to devastate wildlife and cause unfathomable destruction, forcing many to flee their homes.