Australia’s Extreme Wildfires Predicted To Worsen

Thousands of tourists and residents evacuated parts of Australia on Friday as hot temperatures and strong winds were expected to worsen wildfire conditions over the weekend.

"This is a ferocious fire that is still out there, and the climatic conditions are going to be very difficult to contain in the next 24 to 48 hours," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said at a press conference Friday.

At least 19 people have died, dozens are missing and more than 1,400 homes have been lost in the country’s wildfires, which have been burning since October.

Authorities have said this season’s fires are the worst in Australia’s history and that the crisis is likely to last for months. Hundreds of fires are active across the nation with more than 12 million acres of land scorched.