The wildfires in Australia on Wednesday caused three more deaths, bringing the total number of deaths to 16 in recent months, while military helicopters continue to support the tasks of extinction and rescue given the seriousness of the situation.

“Today we have three dead”, said New South Wales Police Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys at a press conference in Sydney, adding that one person is missing.

The forest fires have also destroyed dozens of homes and caused three wounded in this state located in the southeast of the country, which has been suffering from uncontrolled fires since last September.

Firefighters are fighting the flames and trying to contact the communities by taking advantage of a drop in temperatures before Saturday when about 40 degrees of heat is expected.

About 50,000 homes are without power on the south coast of New South Wales, the state most affected by the fires this season and where some 2,500 firefighters are struggling to control the fires.

Victoria’s head of government, Daniel Andrews, told reporters that military aid, food, water and fuel have been sent to areas affected by fires in this state, mainly in the East Gippsland region.

Military helicopters and police and navy ships have been deployed to assist in the evacuation of thousands of people trapped on a beach in the town of Mallacoota, located in East Gippsland. On Wednesday, two Black Hawk helicopters and another Taipan were sent to the disaster area, while two Chinooks are expected to arrive on Friday.

The devices will help firefighters in evacuations, as well as in the transport of food, fuel and medicines to remote communities or isolated by fires.

Fires in Australia, considered one of the worst in recent decades, have burned more than three million hectares since last September.

This season, the fires began long before the southern summer, which begins in December and ends in March.