Grief-stricken farmer is consoled after shooting 20 cows that were so badly burned in devastating bushfires he was forced to carry out a mass mercy killing

By Brittany Chain For Daily Mail Australia11:07 GMT 01 Jan 2020 ,

• An Australian farmer was forced to shoot 20 of his cows after they were injured in the devastating bushfires 
• Steve Shipton from Coolagolite on the far south coast of New South Wales was consoled by fellow farmers 
• He was forced to put down the cattle after they were burned in bushfires which ravaged the town this week 

An Australian farmer was forced to shoot 20 of his cows after they were badly injured in the bushfires ravaging the coastal areas of southern New South Wales.

Steve Shipton from Coolagolite, between the hard-hit towns of Cobargo and Bermagui, was consoled by neighbouring farmers after the heart-wrenching task of putting down the cattle which had been severely burnt by fires that swept through his property.

Graphic pictures show the moments leading up to the killings, as well as the moments directly after, where he was consoled by fellow farmers Bernie Smith and Peter Mercieca.

After completing the harrowing task of putting down about a tenth of his herd, he shook the hand of a local vet and thanked him for the support.

Pictures show him checking the burns on the cattle and the distressing moment he shot another with his rifle.  

Steve Shipton inspects the burns on a calf he has just put down in his paddock after a bushfire in Coolagolite

Steve Shipton shoots an injured calf in his paddock after a bushfire tore through the community on January 1, 2020

This picture taken on December 31, 2019 shows a firefighter hosing down trees and flying embers in an effort to secure nearby houses from bushfires near the town of Nowra

Residents assess fire damage across Australia's east coast

The fire front on the NSW south coast flared on New Year's Eve, leaving seven people dead and hundreds of properties destroyed, and locals were bracing for more hot and windy conditions on Saturday.

The total death toll for this fire season reached 18 after eight people - seven in NSW and one in Victoria - died on Tuesday and Wednesday.

An estimated 480million animals have also perished in the blazes, which have affected various areas across all states since October. 

Death toll rises as Australia's fires rage

Steve Shipton (centre) is consoled by fellow farmers Bernie Smith (left) and Peter Mercieca after shooting some of his herd

A number of Steve Shipton's cows lay dead after being killed in his paddock. They were seriously burned in the blaze before he put them down

Conditions are expected to get worse on Saturday with smoke filling the air. Pictured: Wattle Creek Fire on December 19

In NSW 186 homes have been razed and entire towns, including Mogo and Cobargo have been destroyed.

But authorities warned that conditions would be even worse Saturday and urged both locals and the tourists in the seaside towns to get out of fire affected areas as soon as possible.

RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons warned of dangerous conditions on Saturday.

'We are getting indications with the forecast for Saturday that it is going to present a broader geographic area worse than what we saw yesterday in terms of fire danger,' he said.

'We all need to prepare ourselves for more challenging conditions.'

He said the fires would dominate a vast area from the south eastern corner of NSW up to Illawara and Shoalhaven.

Several bushfire-ravaged communities in New South Wales and Victoria have greeted the new year under immediate threat

Steve Shipton (left) thanks a local vet after losing approximately 20 cows out of a herd of 200 during the fires