Thousands flee homes as Australian wildfires rage
Source: AP-Excite
By KRISTEN GELINEAU
SYDNEY (AP) — Thousands of Australians fled their homes as wildfires raged across the nation's south on Saturday, with firefighters struggling to contain the blazes fanned by strong winds.
Six homes were destroyed by the fires in South Australia and Victoria states, officials said, though no serious injuries have been reported.
Dry conditions and temperatures in the upper 30s Celsius (around 100 degrees Fahrenheit) were causing headaches for firefighters battling the blazes. Officials said it would likely take days to get the fires under control.
The worst of the fires was in the Adelaide Hills in South Australia, where the flames had destroyed five homes and put hundreds of others at risk, state Country Fire Service spokesman Daniel Hamilton said. Residents of 19 communities had been asked to evacuate as a predicted shift in the winds later Saturday prompted fears the flames could worsen.
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Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20150103/as-australia-wildfires-8af6eb9eb4.html
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