SYDNEY Millions of Sydneysiders woke up Tuesday morning to a city blanketed in smoke as thousands of firefighters up and down Australias east coast prepared for potentially catastrophic bushfires.

More than a million acres have already been scorched by a series of fires in both New South Wales and Queensland, which have left at least three people dead and more than 150 homes destroyed.

As of 9 a.m., there were 57 fires burning throughout New South Wales , and fire officials warned the state was on track to experience the fire conditions predicted, potentially affecting more than 6 million people . Up north, nearly 1,000 firefighters were battling 55 additional fires in Queensland on Tuesday.