Firefighters in race to save homes in Australia

Compelling video showed firefighters tackling blazes ripping through homes in the Batemans Bay area of New South Wales amid Australia's ongoing wildfire crisis.

Ingleside Rural Fire Service shared the footage from Tuesday which included a street shrouded in smoke with several properties on fire.

The fire service said its volunteers had seen more than 30 destroyed properties and one firefighter had needed hospital treatment for the effects of smoke inhalation.

Australia's annual wildfire season, which peaks during the Southern Hemisphere summer, started early after an unusually warm and dry winter.

Record-breaking heat and windy conditions triggered devastating wildfires in New South Wales and Queensland states in September.

About five million hectares (12.35 million acres) of land have burned nationwide over the past few months, with 12 people confirmed dead and more than 1,000 homes destroyed.