Australian bushfires: death toll rises as fires sweep across South Australia and NSW

Two people confirmed dead in South Australia as fires burn at emergency level across three different states

• NSW fires live: PM returns to Australia from Hawaii holiday as bushfires destroy properties and second person dead
• Bushfire survival supersedes Christmas plans as firefighters battle infernos

Emergency-level fires have swept across parts of New South Wales and South Australia, and the death toll and number of injured firefighters has risen, as the country's severe heatwave and bushfire crisis continued on Saturday.

Two people were confirmed dead in South Australia, and homes were destroyed and communities evacuated in what authorities described as "an awful day" in which fires raged across three states, even creating their own thunderstorms in some parts of NSW.