More New Zealand firefighters leave the country today, on their way to Queensland to continue the battle against wildfires burning there.
This afternoon will see a crew of 21 join efforts in the state, replacing a group that will be coming home to New Zealand on Sunday.
They replace the firefighters who were the first group to be deployed to Australia on 12 November.
From this Sunday there will be 77 New Zealand firefighters in Australia helping to fight wildfires.
The blazes continue to threaten homes and lives, with the death toll now risen to four.
The crew includes firefighters from around the country, including Taranaki, Wellington, Coromandel and Canterbury.
Large wildfires have been raging in both New South Wales and Queensland for the past 10 weeks.
As of today, there are 57 wildfires in Queensland and 68 in New South Wales.
Tim Mitchell, manager of rural fire at Fire and Emergency New Zealand, says the hot, dry and windy conditions continue to be very challenging.
"Fighting fires of this magnitude demands huge resources and we are happy to continue to support our Australian colleagues as we are needed".
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