Death toll in Australian fires reaches 108
The death toll reached 108 Sunday and more than 750 homes have been destroyed by raging wildfires in southern Australia, officials said.
An estimated 4,000 firefighters battled 31 blazes across the state of Victoria. A fire at Kinglake, about 40 miles northeast of Melbourne, destroyed more than 550 homes, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported.
The village of Marysville, home to about 519 people, was burned out, the ABC said.
Dozens of fires also were reported in New South Wales.
A 31-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy suspected of setting fires were arrested, the network said.
Victoria fire authorities said weather conditions were improving. Firefighting crews were concentrating on protecting buildings overnight with the goal of containing the blazes during the next few days, the ABC said.
The whole idea now is we consolidate the gains we've made,
CFA State Duty Officer Mark Glover said.
The 108 confirmed deaths surpassed the 75 killed in Victoria and New South Wales during the 1983 Ash Wednesday fires, making this the most destructive wildfire in Australian history.
Tonight our resolve as Victorians is being tested,
Victorian Premier John Brumby said in an address. We know that tragically many lives have been lost ... and we have grave concerns for many more. We know that hundreds of Victorians have lost their houses. Out there it has been hell on Earth.
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced the creation of a $6.8 million relief fund to provide immediate assistance to the more than 600 families that have lost homes to the blazes.
I fear in the days ahead, though, the news is going to be bad and I believe the nation needs to prepare itself as the full facts become known,
Rudd said after touring Victoria Sunday.
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