Nancy Allen and Brian Allen stand outside their home as high winds push smoke and ash from the Currowan Fire towards Nowra, New South Wales, Australia, January 4, 2020. Reuters photographer Tracey Nearmy: "Covering Australia's sparsely populated regions is difficult. And when the bushfires started this summer, getting there was tricky. After a day of travelling, I found myself in smoky red haze face-to-face with Nancy Allen in Nowra, New South Wales. Nancy and her husband Brian, dressed in a singlet and shorts, were trying to defend their home with a garden hose. The fire bearing down on their town was so intense, it was creating its own pyrocumulonimbus storm, and the police had evacuated the area hours earlier. Yet, Nancy and Brian stayed in the swirling smoke and ash, anxiously wetting down the front of their house. Mistaking me for an emergency crew, Nancy rushed over to ask me what they should do. Given that the suburb had already been evacuated, I told them to follow the advice to go to the closest evacuation centre. Their home was close to dense bushland, so it was worrying to see them still on their property an hour later. Nancy's expression in this photograph summed up the shock and disbelief many Australians felt at the ferocity and enormity of these fires." REUTERS/Tracey Nearmy/File photo SEARCH "POY STORIES 2020" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

The sun peeks from behind a tree amidst a shroud of haze as the wildfire continues, in Estacada, Oregon, U.S., September 13, 2020. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

A tree stands amidst a shroud of haze as the wildfire continues in Estacada, Oregon, U.S., September 13, 2020. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

A burnt tree stands amidst a shroud of haze as the wildfire continues, in Estacada, Oregon, U.S., September 13, 2020. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

The Mollala United Methodist Church is shrouded in haze as wildfire continues, near Mollala, Oregon, U.S., September 13, 2020. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

The Mollala United Methodist Church is shrouded in haze as wildfire continues, near Mollala, Oregon, U.S., September 13, 2020. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

Dodger Stadium and downtown are pictured from Angels Point in a smoke haze generated by the Bobcat fire in Los Angeles, California, U.S., September 11, 2020. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

A couple watches downtown from Angels Point at sunset in a smoke haze generated by the Bobcat fire in Los Angeles, California, U.S., September 11, 2020. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

Couples watch downtown from Angels Point at sunset in a smoke haze generated by the Bobcat fire in Los Angeles, California, U.S., September 11, 2020. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

A haze from wildfire smoke lingers over the gutted Medford Estates neighborhood in the aftermath of the Almeda fire in Medford, Oregon, U.S., September 11, 2020. Image taken with a drone. REUTERS/Adrees Latif

A haze from wildfire smoke lingers over the gutted Medford Estates neighborhood in the aftermath of the Almeda fire in Medford, Oregon, U.S., September 10, 2020. Picture taken with a drone. REUTERS/Adrees Latif

A haze from wildfire smoke lingers over the gutted Medford Estates neighborhood in the aftermath of the Almeda fire in Medford, Oregon, U.S., September 10, 2020. Image taken with a drone. REUTERS/Adrees Latif

A haze from wildfire smoke lingers over the gutted Medford Estates neighborhood in the aftermath of the Almeda fire in Medford, Oregon, U.S., September 10, 2020. Picture taken with a drone. REUTERS/Adrees Latif

An orange color haze from nearby wildfires blankets the cityscape near Union City, California, U.S., September 9, 2020. Picture taken September 9, 2020. REUTERS/Adrees Latif

An orange color haze from nearby wildfires blankets Santa Clara County, California, U.S., September 9, 2020. Picture taken September 9, 2020. REUTERS/Adrees Latif

An orange color haze from nearby wildfires blankets Santa Clara County, California as seen from a Southwest Airlines flight before its landing in Oakland, California, U.S., September 9, 2020. Picture taken September 9, 2020. REUTERS/Adrees Latif

A Southwest Airlines plane flies amid an orange color haze from nearby wildfires as it prepares to land at Oakland International Airport in Oakland, California, U.S., September 9, 2020. Picture taken September 9, 2020. REUTERS/Adrees Latif TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Riot police officers are pictured through a haze of tear gas as they face off with demonstrators during anti-government protests that have been ignited by a massive explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, August 10, 2020. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis

Shipyards are seen amid haze as smoke rises from a fire onboard the U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (not pictured) at Naval Base San Diego, California, U.S. July 12, 2020. REUTERS/Bing Guan

People look over the sea into the haze created by a sand storm known locally as "La Calima" in Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain, February 23, 2020. REUTERS/Russell Boyce

Children run along the beach as people look over the sea into the haze created by a sand storm known locally as "La Calima" in Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain, February 23, 2020. REUTERS/Russell Boyce

Mountains are seen shrouded in haze near Gloucester, New South Wales, Australia, February 19, 2020. Picture taken February 19, 2020. REUTERS/Loren Elliott

Vehicle drive amid the heavy haze at night in Beijing, China January 18, 2020. REUTERS/Jason Lee

A general view of boats amid dense fog and mist in the background during morning hours at China Creek area in Karachi, Pakistan January 17, 2020. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro

A woman walks under the Brankov bridge amidst dense fog and smog in Belgrade, Serbia, January 15, 2020. REUTERS/Marko Djurica

A man walks amidst dense fog and smog in Belgrade, Serbia, January 15, 2020. REUTERS/Marko Djurica

Visitors smile near Parliament House as a smoke haze hangs in the air in Canberra, Australia January 12, 2020. REUTERS/Tracey Nearmy

Smoke haze hangs around Parliament House in Canberra, Australia January 12, 2020. REUTERS/Tracey Nearmy

Smoke haze hangs around Parliament House in Canberra, Australia January 12, 2020. REUTERS/Tracey Nearmy

A visitor to Parliament House wears a face mask to protect herself against smoke in Canberra, Australia January 12, 2020. REUTERS/Tracey Nearmy

A visitor to Parliament House wears a smoke mask in Canberra, Australia January 12, 2020. REUTERS/Tracey Nearmy

An Australian Federal Police member wears a mask as smoke haze hangs around Parliament House in Canberra, Australia January 12, 2020. REUTERS/Tracey Nearmy

Smoke haze hangs around Parliament House in Canberra, Australia January 12, 2020. REUTERS/Tracey Nearmy

Smoke haze hangs around Parliament House in Canberra, Australia January 12, 2020. REUTERS/Tracey Nearmy

Burnt power lines are seen in Mallacoota, Victoria, Australia January 10, 2020. Picture taken January 10, 2020. REUTERS/Tracey Nearmy

CORRECTION Correction on New Zealand video credit Animation showing the spread of bushfire smoke from Australia to South America. Includes graphics on air quality in New South Wales towns and other pictures and video of haze in Australia and New Zealand. embed code and instructions: https://reut.rs/2tJKn8s

The Duomo cathedral is pictured amidst dense fog and smog in Milan, Italy, January 8, 2020. REUTERS/Flavio Lo Scalzo

A man walks a dog as smoke haze from bushfires hugs the sky in Narooma, New South Wales, Australia January 5, 2020. REUTERS/Tracey Nearmy

A seagull perches on a sign as a ferry can be seen through smoke haze from bushfires, in Sydney, Australia, December 10, 2019. REUTERS/Stephen Coates

The haze from bushfires obscures the sun setting above the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia, December 6, 2019. REUTERS/John Mair

A sailing boat is seen through smoke haze from bushfires in front of the cliffs of North Head, Sydney Harbour, Australia, December 5, 2019. REUTERS/Stephen Coates

A ferry makes its way from Taronga Zoo to Circular Quay, with the CBD skyline barely visible in the background through smoke haze from bushfires, in Sydney Harbour, Australia, December 5, 2019. REUTERS/Stephen Coates

Fort Denison is seen as haze from the ongoing bushfires covers the city skyline and the Sydney Opera House in the background, in Sydney, Australia November 21, 2019. REUTERS/John Mair

Haze from the ongoing bushfires covers the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Sydney, Australia November 21, 2019. REUTERS/John Mair

Haze from the ongoing bushfires covers the city skyline and the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia November 21, 2019. REUTERS/John Mair

Haze from the ongoing bushfires covers the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia November 21, 2019. REUTERS/John Mair

Sun shines through steam rising from chimneys of a power plant in Moscow, Russia November 13, 2019. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

A crow sits on a barricade in front of India Gate amidst smog in New Delhi, November 3, 2019. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

A ferry passes near the Sydney Harbour Bridge, seen through smoke haze, in Sydney, Australia October 31, 2019. REUTERS/John Mair

A firefighter walks through the smoke haze of the Dexter fire near Riverside, California, U.S. October 30, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Blake

Birds fly next to electricity pylons on a smoggy afternoon in the old quarters of Delhi, India, October 30, 2019. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Motorists ride through a main road, past an Indonesian hero statue as smog covers the city in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan province, Indonesia, October 3, 2019. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan

Burnt trees are pictured during a forest fire in Kapuas regency near Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan province, Indonesia, October 3, 2019. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan

Burnt trees are pictured due to the forest fires at a mining area in Kapuas regency near Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan province, Indonesia, September 30, 2019. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan

National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB)'s Mi-8MSB-T water bombing helicopter carries a water container after taking off from the Tjilik Riwut airport in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan province, Indonesia, September 30, 2019. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan

Smoke covers forest during fires in Kapuas regency near Palangka Raya in Central Kalimantan province, Indonesia, September 30, 2019. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan

Smoke covers forest during fires in Kapuas regency near Palangka Raya in Central Kalimantan province, Indonesia, September 30, 2019. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan

Smoke covers forest during fires in Kapuas regency near Palangka Raya in Central Kalimantan province, Indonesia, September 30, 2019. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan

Smoke covers forest during fires in Kapuas regency near Palangka Raya in Central Kalimantan province, Indonesia, September 30, 2019. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan