1 Dead, 300 Buildings Destroyed in Aussie Bushfires

One person has died and 300 properties have been destroyed in bushfires that have torn across southeast Australia, Gabriela Pomeroy reported for BBC News.

The fires have raged in dozens of locations across the country for several days, mostly in the state of Victoria but also in New South Wales, burning through land almost twice the size of Greater London.

A state of emergency has been declared in Victoria as thousands of firefighters and more than 70 aircraft battle the blazes.

Residents in more than a dozen communities have been advised to leave their homes.

Authorities fear the fires, which are being fueled by very hot, dry, and windy conditions, could burn for several weeks. Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan said 30 active fires were burning across the state, 10 of which were of particular concern.

She said 350,000 hectares had burned across the state as of 8:00 a.m. local time on Sunday (23:00 GMT on Saturday).

“We will see fires continue for some time across the state, and that is why we are not through the worst of this by a long way,” she told Australian media.