As Australia battles its worst bushfires in living memory, leaders admit they’re uncharted territory. Australia’s bush fires are being described as a national catastrophe. They are even turning the skies over Auckland New Zealand orange, 2,000 kilometers away from australia. At least 24 people have now died in the blazes, thousands have lost their homes and experts calculate more than half a billion animals have been killed. Prime Minister Scott Morrison is facing strong criticism for his handling of the crisis. Cooler conditions are expected to give some relief to firefighting efforts. But officials warn the reprieve won’t be enough to get fires under control let alone put them out.