Homes hit by Australia bush fires

Firefighters in Victoria are struggling to contain the blazes

Thousands of firefighters in four states in Australia are tackling bushfires which have destroyed homes and thousands of acres of land.

The worst blazes are centred on the southern island of Tasmania and in Victoria, where one fire front now stretches for some 250km (155 miles).

Towns are at risk in Tasmania, where at least 20 homes have now been destroyed.

Fires are also burning in New South Wales and in Western Australia.

Bush fires are common in Australia's summer, but firefighters say a long-standing drought has made a dangerous time of year even more hazardous.

Few injuries have so far been reported, but officials warn that the danger remains critical.

Rising temperatures

The Tasmanian town of Scamander has been worst hit, with some 23 homes destroyed.

"You could hear houses exploding and trees going down. You could see the flames roaring up over the hill," Scamander resident, Sue Brown, told local media.

Tasmanian Fire Service spokesman Danny Reid said that more than 100 firefighters were battling the blazes, but were struggling against 120kph (74mph) wind gusts.

A change in the wind direction means the fire is now bearing down on the small town of St Marys.

Many of the town's 600 residents were reported to have decided to stay and fight the fire.

Meanwhile, firefighters in Victoria continue to try to contain a series of wildfires that have already destroyed 250,000 hectares (617,750 acres) of bush.

The blaze claimed a popular ski lodge at the Mt Buffalo resort on Tuesday.

Two of the largest fires are now believed to have linked to form a 250km front.

Cooler weather has brought some relief for the 2,000 firefighters, who have been using bulldozers and water-bombing aircraft to try to build containment lines around the blazes.

But forecasters warn that temperatures will rise again later in the week.

The fires in south-eastern Australia have now blackened an area the size of Luxembourg, officials say.

Firefighters in New South Wales are struggling to contain smaller outbreaks near Sydney, while crews in Western Australia have been fighting a blaze that threatened homes near Perth.