A helicopter drops water on bush land in Faulcombridge, 85 kilometers (53 miles) west of Sydney, Australia, Oct. 24, 2013.
Australian officials say a second person has died battling the country's wildfires.
A plane crashed Thursday while attempting to drop water on a fire near Ulladulla, south of Sydney, killing the pilot. He was the lone occupant on board.
Authorities say crews are having a difficult time reaching the crash because of the mountainous terrain.
Another person died last week, trying to save his house from the fires that have destroyed or damaged more than 200 houses.
Also Thursday, fire officials are defending Australia's military after investigators revealed a live ordnance exercise set off the largest of the wildfires.
The fire service commissioner said the military had no intention to start a fire. No one was hurt in last week's blaze.
Meantime, fire officials have lifted emergency warnings in fire-ravaged New South Wales although about a third of the fires are not contained.
Wildfires Ravage Southern Australia
1/10Firefighters spray foam on smoldering bush to help reduce reflash fires after a blaze swept through Faulconbridge, west of Sydney, Oct. 24, 2013.
2/10Rural Fire Service frefighters take a break after trying to extinguish a fire approaching homes near the Blue Mountains suburb of Faulconbridge, west of Sydney, Oct. 24, 2013.
3/10Firefighters control flames during hazard reduction in Bilpin, Australia, Oct. 23, 2013.
4/10A female Rural Fire Service firefighter walks through a burnt area after trying to extinguish a small fire approaching homes near the Blue Mountains suburb of Blackheath, west of Sydney, Oct. 23, 2013.
5/10"Будинок преси" у Грозному. Звідси вибивали бойовиків.
6/10A firefighter tries to control flames near houses in Bilpin, west of Sydney, Oct. 22, 2013.
7/10A firefighter watches as smoke covers a road in Bilpin, west of Sydney, Oct. 22, 2013.
8/10Local resident Alan Seaman looks inside a safe in the remains of his home that was destroyed by a fire in the Blue Mountains suburb of Winmalee, west of Sydney, Oct. 21, 2013.
9/10Houses can be seen behind a burnt-out car and bicycle after a fire destroyed them in the Blue Mountains suburb of Winmalee, west of Sydney, Oct. 21, 2013.
10/10In this photo provided by the New South Wales Rural Fire Service, smoke rises from a fire near Lithgow, west of Sydney, Oct. 17, 2013.
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