24 January 2006 Wildfires spread across Australia
Australian firefighters are battling to control the spread of bushfires in Victoria, south Australia and Tasmania to prevent them from reaching nearby homes.
High temperatures and strong winds are hampering their efforts as several towns in Victoria remain under threat from large bushfires burning across the state.
One firefighter was killed and three others injured after their vehicle rolled over as they headed towards a fire.
At least 20 homes have been destroyed in Victoria, the BBC reports, in a blaze that has spread over 247,000 acres.
"We're hoping to consolidate [the fires]...before the temperatures peak back into the 40s later in the week," Graham Fountain, Victorian Country Fire Authority deputy chief officer, told Australian TV.
"But nothing is guaranteed, so we need to remain vigilant," he added.
Thousands of sheep and cattle are likely to be lost as a result of the fires, according to local farmers.
Australia suffers from bushfires every summer; earlier this season several homes in western Australia and New South Wales were destroyed in a number of fires. 
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