The early and devastating start to Australia’s summer wildfires has made this season the worst on record. About five million hectares of land have burned, at least 19 people have been killed and more than 1,400 homes have been destroyed.

This week, at least 448 homes have been destroyed on the New South Wales southern coast and dozens were burned in Victoria. Ten deaths have been confirmed in the two states this week, and Victoria authorities say 28 people are missing. Fires are also burning in the states of Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania.

Hundreds leave by air, sea

The navy evacuated hundreds from Mallacoota, a coastal town in Victoria cut off for days by wildfires that forced as many as 4,000 residents and tourists to shelter on beaches. Landing craft ferried people to the HMAS Choules offshore.

Evacuees waiting to board the ship described smoke and embers flying everywhere when the fires were at their worst.

«It’s just scary waiting,» Dani Barmeister told Channel Nine.

Choules Cmdr. Scott Houlihan said 963 people had signed up for evacuation by sea and more had been airlifted to safety.

In New South Wales, a state of emergency and a total fire ban were in place. Rob Rogers, state Rural Fire Service deputy commissioner, urged people to not wait to leave, noting four people in the state died in their cars as they made late attempts to flee.

«We know people have got a little bit of fire fatigue. They’ve been dealing with this now for months,» Rogers said. «But we need people to stay focused. Tomorrow is not the day to drop your guard. Take it seriously. If you’re in those areas where we put those maps out, do not be there.»

Rogers later told reporters than anyone who chose not to leave must take responsibility for their own safety.

«We are giving them information and being honest about the risk, but if people choose to stay that is on them,» he said.

Dozens of Canadian firefighters are among those from around the world helping battle the blazes. The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre said on social media that 30 more firefighters will be leaving within the next three days, to be dispatched to New South Wales and Queensland.

PM says he understands anger, frustration

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he was inclined to cancel a trip to India later this month because of the wildfires. In December, he cut short a family holiday in Hawaii in the face of public anger at his absence.

He made the remarks in Bairnsdale, Victoria, where he received a warmer welcome than he had in another wildfire-ravaged town a day earlier.

Watch: PM Morrison confronted

Residents in Australia are directing their anger at the prime minister as wildfires continue to devastate the country.1:43

Morrison cut short Thursday’s visit to Cobargo in New South Wales when locals yelled at him, made obscene gestures, and called him an «idiot» and worse, criticizing him for the lack of equipment to deal with the fires in town.

In a radio interview, Morrison said he understood the anger of people affected by the fires.

«People are angry, and people are raw and people are upset,» he said. «Whether they are angry with me or they are angry about the situation, all I know is they are hurting and it’s my job to be there to try and offer some comfort and support.»

In an interview late Friday with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s A Current Affair, Morrison was defensive about his handling of the crisis. He denied having ignored the warnings of fire chiefs that Australia was heading into a catastrophic fire season.

«I listen to the fire chiefs that are in their jobs now,» he said. «They provided those exact same warnings and prepared our services to deal with the situation.

«Because of the drought, because of the fact there have been no quenching rains following the fires starting, that means this season is running longer and is presenting more difficult challenges.»

Morrison’s response was seen to echo his repeated assertions the fires are a natural disaster and not the result of climate change exacerbated by Australia’s dependence on coal and other fossil fuels.

Morrison was asked about the apparently cool reception he received in fire-stricken areas, including many who refused to shake his hand.

«There’s been different receptions,» he said, adding «where I was yesterday particularly they are very raw.»

Smoke from the wildfires has choked air quality and turned daytime skies to near-nighttime darkness in the worst-hit areas.

Listen: More on the evacuation near Mallacoota, Victoria

We talk to a retired police officer in Australia who says the latest bushfires have devastated his community in Mallacoota, where thousands took refuge on beaches as the fires raged.19:35

Sydney University ecologist Chris Dickman told the Sydney Morning Herald nearly 500 million birds, reptiles and mammals are likely to have perished in New South Wales alone. Frogs, bats and insects are excluded from his estimate, making the toll on animals much greater.

The nation’s agricultural sector also suffered untallied losses. Agriculture Minister Bridget McKenzie said in addition to their livestock dying, farmers were also struggling to feed animals with their supply chains disrupted.

The smoke has also blown across the Tasman Sea into New Zealand, where skies are hazy and glaciers have turned a deep caramel brown. The colour change may cause more melting since the glaciers will reflect less sunlight.

• Australian navy begins evacuation of beach where thousands had sought refuge from fire

• As It Happens

  Australian who lost her home and business to wildfires says country is ‘like a war zone’

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