Russell Crowe has told fans that his house has been hit by wildfires in Australia, but that he is safe and out of the country.

The Hollywood star’s home is in New South Wales (NSW), which is currently under a week-long state of emergency due to ferocious fires that have burned in recent days.

There were fears that his sprawling property in the Nana Glen area would be affected by the bush fires earlier this week.

Crowe, 55, has now told his 2.7 million Twitter followers: “I’m not in Australia. My family are safe, billeted with friends.

“Fire hit my place late in the day yesterday.

“My heart goes out to everyone in the valley.”

The Gladiator star, who was born in New Zealand but has lived most of his life in Australia, shared three pictures of the fire, including one that showed flames approaching a property.

The wildfires in the state have so far claimed the lives of three people and more than 150 homes, and have impacted more than 3,300 square miles of forest and farmland since Friday.

The state of emergency in NSW is a declaration that gives the Rural Fire Service sweeping powers to control resources and direct other government agencies in its efforts to battle fires.

The worst of the fires emerged in the state’s north east on Tuesday, and a catastrophic fire warning was in place for Sydney – the capital of NSW – as well as coastal communities to the populous city’s north and south.