Scores of homes razed, one dead in Australian bushfires

Sydney: Bushfires have razed hundreds of buildings across southeast Australia, authorities said Sunday, as they confirmed the first death from the dis...

Sydney: Bushfires have razed hundreds of buildings across southeast Australia, authorities said Sunday, as they confirmed the first death from the disaster.

Temperatures soared past 40C as a heatwave blanketed the state of Victoria, sparking dozens of blazes that ripped through more than 300,000 hectares (740,000 acres) combined.

Fire crews tallied the damage as conditions eased on Sunday. A day earlier, authorities had declared a state of disaster.

Emergency Management Commissioner Tim Wiebusch said over 300 buildings had burned to the ground, a figure that includes sheds and other structures on rural properties.

More than 70 houses had been destroyed, he said, alongside huge swathes of farming land and native forest.