In Sydney, the blanket of smoke covering the city is a constant reminder of what her family, and others, are facing. The area of smoke resulting from the fires – 1.3 billion acres – has reached as far as South America, according to the World Meteorological Organisation.

“I’ve never seen this amount of smoke,” Ruby says. “It gets in your eyes and in your throat and it makes you think about the firefighters: how their eyes must be stinging, their throats must be red raw.”

While recent rainfall has brought hope in some areas, there is not likely to be much greater relief over the next couple of months as the hot and dry weather is predicted to continue through January and February. Meaning, for the foreseeable future, Garry, Margie and Ruby remain on high alert.

“You get up in the morning, and the first thing you do is check the fire reports near you to see how things are going,” Garry says.

“It’s a new routine for us.”

Australian bushfire: “I panicked when I couldn’t get hold of my family”