As more than 100 fires have already ravaged parts of New South Wales, government officials are stating that high winds and record high temperatures have created the possibility of “catastrophic” fires overtaking parts of Australia.

Residents in areas prone to bushfires have already been told to evacuate their homes.

Shane Fitzsimmons, Commissioner of the Rural Fire Service, told the BBC that 21 fires are currently burning uncontained and that they could be enhanced by the current weather conditions. One fire south of Canberra has become so dangerous that residents are being told to try and find shelter because it’s “too late” to escape the flames.

Higher than average temperatures during the last four months have created a drought and left vegetation so dry that one firefighter described it as a “tinderbox.” Over the last two weeks many long-held temperature records in Australia have been beaten and meteorologists have described a “dome of heat” over the country.

The only positive from the massive fire outbreak is that no civilians or firefighters have been killed as of Monday.