AUSTRALIA BUSH FIRES

Fires in the lower mountains area is surveyed by an aerial attack helicopter in the outer suburbs of Sydney on Christmas Day, Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2001. About 5,000 firefighters put Christmas celebrations on hold Tuesday as they continued to battle 70 bush fires burning across Australia's most populous state New South Wales. Fueled by tinder-dry conditions, the blazes in some regions of New South Wales were expected to worsen later Tuesday as winds pick up and temperatures soar to above 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees). (AP Photo/ Jeff Darmanin) **AUSTRALIA OUT**