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Raging bushfire kills 2, demolishes homes in Australia

Sunday, 10 January 2016 5:43 AM [ Last Update: Sunday, 10 January 2016 9:17 AM ]

A handout photo released on January 8 by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services shows firefighters battling a fire near Yarloop, Western Australia. ©AFP

At least two people have lost their lives and over a hundred homes have been destroyed as a massive bushfire rages on in Australia, authorities say.

The bodies of the victims were found in burnt-out houses on Sunday in the town of Yarloop, located some 110 kilometers (70 miles) south of the city of Perth, while the bushfire continues to burn out of control in the state of Western Australia.

Western Australia police said the bodies are believed to be those of two missing men in their 70s.

“It’s just another day of catastrophe, isn’t it?” said local shire president, Tania Jackson, adding, “Each day that has gone by seems to bring worse news. It’s devastating.”

The inferno, ignited by a lightning strike on Wednesday, has burned through some 71,000 hectares (175,000 acres) of land with a 226-kilometer (140 miles) perimeter.

The bushfire has wrecked 143 properties, including 128 homes in Yarloop, according to the state’s Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES).

The DFES further issued an emergency warning, saying the fire is not contained and several towns in the region remained under threat.

“Unless you are ready and prepared to actively defend your property, evacuate to the south via the South Western Highway if safe to do so,” the DFES said.

A handout photo released on January 8 by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services shows damage from a fire near Waroona, Western Australia. ©AFP

Some 250 firefighters have been battling to bring the flames under control, hoping to take advantage of the cooler weather in the coming days.

Bushfires are an annual summer event in Australia. The natural disaster left four people dead in Western Australia in November last year and two others in neighboring South Australia State at the same time.

Australia’s worst firestorm in recent years devastated parts of the southeastern state of Victoria in 2009, killing 173 people and destroying thousands of homes.

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