UPDATE: Currently, about 2,000 firefighters are fighting active bushfires in New South Wales (NSW). As of writing, about 20 buildings, including homes, were reported destroyed.

Residents of New South Wales in Australia are getting ready for the coming heatwave brought on by the blaze from Gospers Mountain. The local government has already issued an emergency warning on Sunday regarding the fire that is occurring in the mountains. The fire had spread on the majority of Gospers mountain with reports of properties being casualties.

CAUSES OF HEAT WAVES IN AUSTRALIA

Heatwaves are common in some parts of Australia. However, in recent years, there has been an alarming case of heatwaves in Australia spreading in areas where there are usually none. Reports from Australia's Bureau of Meteorology states that heatwaves kill many people in Australia more than other natural hazards like bushfires, cyclones, and floods. For instance, in the timeline from the 1900s to 2011, extreme heat was the leading cause of more than half of all deaths from natural hazards, second only to disease epidemics.

Scientists warned that global temperatures can affect the heatwaves in Australia. If the global temperature rises, heatwaves will become more frequent, will be hotter, and will definitely last longer than the usual. 

In an article written by meteorologists from Australia's Bureau of Meteorology in The Conversation, the most significant thing about the recent heatwaves in Australia is its coverage across the continent and its persistence because it is unusual to have such widespread heatwaves in Australia and for them to last long. 

WHAT HAPPENED TO GOSPERS MOUNTAIN?

This weekend, the heatwave terrorizing New South Wales and nearby areas is caused by a bushfire in the Gospers Mountain. According to the report of the Rural Fire Service, the fire was able to engulf 378,000 hectares of land and was affecting Mount Wilson. Mount Irvine, Mount Tomah, and Berambing. It is also reported that embers are starting to fall in the Bilpin area and may start new fires ahead of the main front. In the statement, the Rural Fire Service advised residents to seek shelter and protect themselves because it is too late to leave. 

In an interview with ABC TV, Rob Rogers, deputy commissioner for the Rural Fire Service, said that there are already casualties from the fire. In Mount Wilson, a house was burned down along with several sheds, and at Mount Tomah, buildings were destroyed. Rogers said that the Rural Fire Service is concerned about the conditions from Wednesday onwards. "There's going to be a lot of work going on over the next 24 hours to try and just see what we can do to protect as many properties as we can, but people should be under no illusions -- we're not going to get this fire put out -- and we're going to have to get through this next week of really hot weather with these fires being very active," Rogers said.

So far, there are at least 724 homes, 49 facilities, and 1,582 outbuildings that were destroyed by the fire, and there are six people reported to have died. Meanwhile, other government units are on alert mode. The South Australian housing authority has raised the code red warning for homelessness and vulnerable people affected by the heat. The code red will be up until Friday according to a statement from the housing authority.

ALSO READ: Larger Heatwaves Expected by 2050, New Study Finds