Twelve towns in the south-eastern Australian state of Victoria were on high alert on Thursday against raging bushfires that have already destroyed 27 homes and killed two people and thousands of farm animals.
Dozens of fires fuelled by scorching temperatures and rising winds were burning around the state, having swept through about 150 000ha of bush and farmland, officials said.
The largest blaze was in the Grampians National Park area in the state’s west, where two people were killed and 24 homes destroyed.
A 36-year-old man and his 12-year-old son perished in the fire after their car crashed en route to a relative’s home that they were hoping to save.
The Grampians fire has raged through 67 farms, killing about 60 000 sheep as well as 500 cattle and some horses, officials said.
Residents evacuated some of the towns and those remaining were warned to maintain a constant vigil against wind-borne blazing embers.
”All remaining residents in the towns south of the Grampians have been urged to be highly alert for the fire danger,” the Country Fire Association warned.
Fourteen aircraft and an army of up to 700 firefighters, including some flown in from other states, are tackling the blaze.
Country Fire Authority spokesperson Graham Fountain said hot weather and unfavourable winds were fanning the blazes, threatening towns north-east of Melbourne.
”The Grampians fire is starting to get much more active. It hasn’t taken a run in any particular direction yet but we’re certainly seeing an increase in flame heights and fire activity.
”Until realistically we get a large rainfall across these fires, we won’t be at all confident these are extinguished,” he said.
Local resident David Browne told national radio he was one of only 15 or 20 people out of 200 left in the small town.
”The place is very, very thick with smoke from all the backburning and the big main fires over the mountains,” he said.
Weather bureau spokesperson Geoff Kitchen said favourable winds and cooler conditions were expected to move in later Thursday. — Sapa-AFP