A firefighter lights a back burn near Mount Victoria in the Blue Mountains on October 21, 2013, as volunteer fire brigades race to tame an enormous blaze, with officials warning it could merge with others to create a “mega-fire” if weather conditions worsen. Crews have been battling fires that flared in high winds and searing heat across the state of New South Wales last week with more than 200 homes so far destroyed and many others damaged. AFP PHOTO/William WESTWILLIAM WEST/AFP/Getty Images
