Tasmanian town cut off by fires

Firefighters are struggling to cope

Tasmanian firefighters are battling to save a small town that has been completely cut off by raging bushfires.

Residents of Four Mile Creek have fled to the beach, out of the path of what has been described as a "large fireball".

Other parts of southern Australia are also under threat from encroaching bushfires, and firefighters are struggling to cope.

Fires have already destroyed vast areas of forest and farmland in four states.

Four Mile Creek is now completely isolated, with fires burning right up to the sea, and all evacuation routes cut off.

"The best bet is head to the beach and hope the fire brigade and fire fighters are doing their job," one resident, Shane Hodge, told reporters.

The nearby villages of Cornwall and St Marys are also at risk, and firefighters have started marking out homes they will be unable to save.

"If a property has trees right up to the back door, then it's going to put lives at risk and we have to declare those houses as undefendable," fire service spokesman Michael Watkins told Reuters news agency.

The mainland state of Victoria has also been affected by bushfires, with thousands of firefighters battling a reported 11 blazes.

Bushfires are common in Australia's summer, but officials say the situation is even worse than normal this year, because of a long-standing drought.

Many fires are caused by lightning, while others are started deliberately.

A 58-year-old man was recently charged with arson by police in Western Australia.

So far few injuries have been reported from this year's bushfires, although the authorities across this arid continent are warning that the worst may be yet to come.