PICTURES: Devastation of Australia wildfire due to 'military training exercise'
THE Australian bush fire which have devastated large parts of the country could have been down to a military training exercise, it was claimed.
The nation's military is currently investigating whether the blaze could have started during an exercise using explosives which took place the same day the fire began.
More than 200 homes have been destroyed in the fire which is continuing to burn and has been for several days.
One man has died of a suspected heart attack as he tried to protect his home from the raging fire.
New South Wales Rural Fire Service Deputy Commissioner Rob Rogers said Saturday's conditions were a "pause", but that the fire perimeter stretched for more than 500km.
"We're by no means out of the woods," he told broadcaster ABC. "It's just calmed down a little bit and obviously we're bracing ourselves for these worsening conditions."
Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said some of the fires were so large they would take some time to completely extinguish.
"Firefighters will be working on these fires for weeks," he said.
"It's all about reducing the risk of these fires to breach containment lines and run under hotter, drier, windier condition over coming days."
Smoke and ash from the wildfires have blanketed the Sydney skyline.