(ROUGH CUT ONLY - NO REPORTER NARRATION)<br/> <br />Firefighters in parts of eastern Australia were fighting small bushfires on Tuesday (December 4) as temperatures soared into the thirties, fire services said.<br/> <br />Local media showed fire crews near Brisbane putting out and controlling fires as local residents looked on from their back yards.<br/> <br />Queensland power supplier, Energex, said power demand spiked as people turned up the air-conditioning in their offices and homes.<br/> <br />Local media said some schools have banned children from playing outdoors to keep students from overheating and hospitals are on stand-by for an influx of heat-related illnesses.
