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Homes burn in West Australia fire Homes burn in West Australia fire
(about 3 hours later)
Firefighters in Australia are tackling bush fires in the far west of the country as strong winds and high temperatures sweep across the area. Nearly 40 homes have been razed in wildfires tearing through farming areas north of the Western Australian capital, Perth.
Several homes are reported to have been destroyed in Toodyay, about 80 km (50 miles) northeast of Perth. State Premier Colin Barnett declared a natural disaster, freeing up emergency funds for those in need.
Some of the fires are burning out of control, but so far are not threatening any major centres of population. The blazes have consumed about 13,400 hectares (33,000 acres) of land.
Bush fires have threatened South Australia and New South Wales since the southern hemisphere summer began. Wildfires are common during the summer, and experts had warned that this year's fires could be particularly bad after one of the warmest winters on record.
The Western Australia wildfire has destroyed at least 20 homes and injured three firefighters, officials said, but more losses are feared. Some parts of the country have also been suffering from years of drought, making them more susceptible to fire damage.
Out of control Two major blazes broke out on Tuesday afternoon local time in a wheat- and sheep-farming district, forcing the evacuation of Toodyay, a township, and threatening a second town, Badgingarra, further north.
"We can confirm that 20 homes have been lost, but early indications of people moving through the area is that the number could double," Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA) spokesman Allen Gale said. Dead livestock
"House after house has been destroyed, in a line, and there are still pockets where the fire is still burning." The state Fire and Emergency Services Authority (Fesa) said at least 37 houses had been destroyed.
Hundreds of firefighters were battling fires at Toodyay, a farming district after hot and windy weather fuelled fires in the region. It's a devastating fire with great destruction Colin Barnett Western Australian Premier
Three firefighters were treated for smoke inhalation and dehydration after battling the flames, which consumed about 2,700 hectares (6,700 acres) including houses, sheds and farmland. Fesa spokesman Allen Gale said: "The people directly affected by the fire, obviously, want to get back to their properties, but the area is very unsafe."
Officials warned residents not to return to their homes with flames burning as high as two metres (seven feet) and trees smouldering on the roadsides. Many homes were destroyed in Toodyay, about 80 km (50 miles) north-east of Perth, where hundreds of firefighters were at work.
"The people directly affected by the fire, obviously, want to get back to their properties, but the area is very unsafe," Mr Gale said. Two firefighters were treated for smoke inhalation and a third was treated for a heat-related illness. Farmers also reported livestock dying.
"There's a lot of shock for the people right now. It's a mess out there, but people in town are helping and wanting to offer assistance, which is great." "It's a devastating fire with great destruction," the state premier told media.
A second major fire in Badgingarra, about 160km north of Perth, had also burned through some 10,500 hectares of land, although no homes were lost. Cooler conditions and water-bombing helicopters were expected to control the fires on Wednesday.
"The bushfire has been now been contained but is not under control," FESA said. Investigators believe falling power lines sparked the Toodyay blaze, reported the West Australian newspaper.
Cooler conditions and water-bombing helicopters were expected to help firefighters on Wednesday. Australia is still recovering from "Black Saturday" in February, when 173 people died and more than 2,000 homes were lost in the state of Victoria in the country's worst natural disaster of modern times.
Australia last saw devastating fires in February this year and residents prepare each year for the onslaught. In the aftermath of "Black Saturday", officials issued a new level of "catastrophic" fire warning.
On "Black Saturday" in February, 173 people died and more than 2,000 homes were lost in the state of Victoria in the country's worst natural disaster of modern times. Parts of Western Australia were given this "catastrophic" rating earlier on Wednesday.
In November, officials issued a new level of "catastrophic" fire warning for the first time, during a heatwave in the south of the country.
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