Homes destroyed in bushfires in Australia

Sydney, Feb 23 (IANS) Homes were gutted due to bushfires fanned up by heat and blustery conditions in Australian state of Victoria, authorities said on Friday.

Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan said: "Now we are sadly hearing reports of property loss that are starting to come through given the active nature of the fire and the difficult terrain in the area."

She said two emergency warnings related to the blaze are currently in place, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Western highway and train line between Ballarat and Ararat, remain closed, while crews on the ground are working to reopen the services in the coming hours, she said.

Due to Thursday's strong heat and wind, around 5,000 properties are without power across the state, the Victoria Premier said.

Chief Officer of Country Fire Authority Jason Heffernan said that Thursday saw extreme fire dangers for the western part of Victoria.