SYDNEY, Feb.13 (Xinhua) -- The Australian state of New South Wales is recovering from wildfires on Monday, after "catastrophic" conditions caused by a recent heatwave saw 2,500 firefighters battle 120 fires across the state.
"We know that there are going to be homes lost. We know there are plenty of other buildings that have been destroyed," New South Wales rural fire service commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said.
"Livestock, machinery and community infrastructure such as churches and town halls have also been destroyed."
On Sunday, the top fifteen hottest locations in the world were in New South Wales with temperatures reaching over 47 degrees celsius in much of the state.
To make matters worse for authorities, 90 km winds winds moved across the state making conditions "as bad as it gets."
Fire services issued 1.5 million telephone warnings to residents in affected areas, as a result no lives were lost over the weekend.
However two firefighters were seriously injured, one suffering burns to his face and hands, the other receiving a serious laceration on his hand.
"Some volunteers fighting to save other people's properties actually lost their own," New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters.
Two men and a teenager have been charged with deliberately lighting fires in separate incidents on Sunday.
A thirteen year-old boy is alleged to have destroyed 100 vehicles after lighting a patch of grass on fire at an industrial complex in Central New South Wales.
On the state's mid north coast, witnesses came forward to report a 32 year-old man who stands accused of lighting two fires.
In another incident, a 40 year-old allegedly set fire to a patch of land on the central coast, Commissioner Fitzsimons describing the three instances as "heinous crimes."
It is estimated that around 80 fires are still burning and many more regions remain on high alert. Enditem
