Crews battle wildfires in Australia's Victoria, aerials of houses in flames

Wildfires raging across southeastern Australia in dry and windy summer conditions destroyed homes and injured at least one firefighter, authorities said on Sunday.     

Some 37 blazes were burning out of control across Victoria state on Sunday, according to the Victoria state Fire Service, threatening rural towns and the fringes of Australia's second largest city, Melbourne.     

Homes have been lost in Victoria, but authorities have yet to assess the numbers of properties lost.       

State Premier Denis Napthine said extreme weather conditions had created a serious situation across Victoria.      

"We've faced conditions that are the worst we've seen in five years. We've faced significantly hot conditions after a long period of dry weather making the fire conditions very, very serious," Napthine told reporters in Melbourne.        

Fire officials say at least one firefighter had been injured.       

The firefighter was hit by a falling tree and received medical treatment.      

Officials said the fire conditions were at their worst since 2009, when wildfires killed 173 people and destroyed more than 2-thousand homes in Victoria in little more than a single day in February.      

In neighbouring New South Wales state, the Rural Fire Service reported 50 fires burning, one temporarily closing the Hume Highway, which connects Melbourne with Sydney, Australia's largest city.      

There were no immediate reports of homes lost in New South Wales, Australia's most populous state.     

Destructive wildfires are a common feature across much of Australia during the summer months.       

Temperatures exceeded 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in parts of Victoria, Australia's second-most populous state, and New South Wales.          


AP