Australian Firefighters Battling More Than 100 Fires

Australian firefighters are battling more than 100 fires in New South Wales and Queensland-- forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate their homes.

Australian authorities have downgraded the threat in New South Wales from "catastrophic" but are still urging residents to remain alert.

Officials said more than 200 homes in New South Wales have been destroyed since Friday.

A severe fire danger warning is in place for much of southern Queensland-- with soaring temperatures and strong winds.

For some residents there, this is the second time they've been evacuated in the past week.

Earlier, a water-bombing helicopter crashed while fighting a wildfire in Queensland, but officials said the pilot walked away with only minor injuries.

Right now, police are investigating reports that several of the fires may have been deliberately started.