108 killed by deadly Australian wildfires
HEALESVILLE, Australia (AP) – Entire towns have been razed by wildfires raging through southeastern Australia, burning people in their homes and cars in the deadliest blaze in the country’s history. The number of dead Monday stood at 108, a grim toll that rose almost by the hour as officials reached further into the fire zone.
Searing temperatures and wind blasts created a firestorm that swept across a swath of the country’s Victoria state, where at least 750 homes were destroyed and all of the victims died.
The skies rained ash and trees exploded in the inferno, witnesses said, as temperatures of up 117 F (47 C) combined with blasting winds to create furnace-like conditions.