Householders in the path of the 135 forest fires burning in Australia's south-east were told Tuesday to flee rather than stay and fight with buckets and hoses.
Those within sight of blazes whipped up by 70-kilometre-per-hour winds and temperatures above 40 degrees were told to hunker down and not try to outrun the flames.
"We've been very fortunate so far," Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said, stating that no reports had been received of casualties or houses destroyed.
More than 70,000 firefighters backed by a fleet of 70 water-bombing aircraft stood ready to relieve those trying to hold back the flames.
A change in the weather late Tuesday was expected to halve temperatures and provide a respite needed for crews with bulldozers to put in fire breaks.
Pam Shelley, a cattle farmer at Rock Flat, 113 kilometres south of Canberra, told the national broadcaster ABC that neighbours had lost property but that she was safe so far.
"They've got planes and helicopters but it's like dropping a pin in the ocean because it's got completely out of control," she said.
"What do you do? You're just lucky so far that it's not us."
Lightning strikes have ignited most of the fires, but arsonists were suspected of taking advantage of perfect bush fire conditions.
New South Wales state Premier Barry O'Farrell said police had spoken to suspects and warned them of 25-year jail sentences for those convicted of arson.
"People who are even momentarily tempted to light a fire should take note of these penalties and think again," O'Farrell said.
For the first time ever, all national parks in the south-east have been closed and campers ordered home.
A total fire ban, which prevents fires from being lit outside the home, was extended until Wednesday.
Fitzsimmons warned that Tuesday could be a replay of February 7, 2007, when 173 lives were lost in a fire north of Melbourne that raced through 470,000 hectares of forest.
"If you live in bushland or an isolated area where there's a catastrophic fire danger rating, your only option is to leave early," he said.
Authorities have the power to order people from their homes but mandatory evacuations are rare because of a tradition of letting householders themselves decide whether to leave or stay.
Research showed that most deaths occur when people evacuate at the last minute and are killed in their cars by heat or smoke while trying to escape.