Sydney's beaches under bushfire emergency as firefighters battle blaze

Sydney, Sep 21 (IANS) An emergency warning was issued for an out-of-control bushfire on Sydney's beaches on Saturday as firefighters and water bombing aircraft were working in the area to slow the spread of the fire.

The Rural Fire Service (RFS) of the Australian state of New South Wales issued the warning for the Cromer Heights area, north of Sydney, due to a large bushfire, Xinhua news agency reported.

The residents of Cromer Heights were warned to seek whatever protection they could find after the bushfire near Oxford Falls swept east, fanned by high winds.

The RFS upgraded the warning to emergency level, the highest.

It advised residents in the area to seek shelter as the fire approaches in a solid structure such as a house, saying: "It is too late to leave."

Footage and photographs of the blaze showed an enormous cloud of smoke over the area and an orange glow in the sky from a local retirement community.

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