A massive bushfire has raged out of control in a popular holiday region in Western Australia.
In the Margaret River region south of Perth, known for wine growing and surfing, 6,000 hectares of land have already been devastated in the past three days, the Australian broadcaster ABC reported on Friday, citing local emergency services.
People from communities near the fire have been moved to safety, it said.
The Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park on the Indian Ocean has been particularly badly affected.
About 250 firefighters were deployed to fight the flames.
A regional minister said that miraculously no one had been killed so far.
Also, no houses had burned down.
“Given the fierceness of the fire and given the weather conditions we’ve had for the previous two days that is quite an amazing thing,’’ ABC cited Regional Minister for Emergency Services, Reece Whitby, as saying.
Although the weather conditions are now more favourable, the danger has not yet been averted, he said.