173 people have been killed in fires raging through Australia, making this the deadliest bushfire in Australian history. Nearly 815,447 acres (330,000 hectares) have been burned and 750 homes have been burned to the ground. In 1983, 75 people were killed on what was dubbed the Ash Wednesday fires . 71 people were killed in similar fires in 1939. The country's prime minister, Kevin Rudd  calls the fires "mass murder". The combination of Australia's long term drought, a record heat wave with temperatures as high as 47.2 degrees Celcius (117 Fahrenheit) and winds over 100km/h (60mph), sparked the dozens of fires across Victoria. Some are being investigated as arson. Over 60,000 firefighters are battling the various blazes. These fires although common in Australia have caught people unprepared due to their intensity and speed. Survivors of Kinglake tell of how up until 10 minutes before the fire started to tear through their country town people were unaware of how close and dangerous the fire really was. 24 people from Kinglake and Kinglake West have died and hundreds of houses have burnt to the ground. Over 1,500 people in Kinglake alone have been left homeless, left with a town which has mostly burned to the ground. Many people have been caught in the terrifying position of staying and fighting for their houses or fleeing before the fires arrive. Many of the people who have died have attempted to flee in their cars too late and were caught in the middle of the inferno, some being burned alive. Despite the efforts of firefighters, many towns have been totally destroyed, leaving nothing but piles of ashes. Witnesses and survivors of fires in Marysville and Narbethong , Victoria, describe the towns as being totally wiped out or substantially damaged. "What we can do is, with that manpower, really help out even if it's just a matter of relieving at times. We've obviously got to make sure we protect our domestic situation as well," said New Zealand prime minister John Key .
173 people have been killed in fires raging through Australia, making this the deadliest bushfire in Australian history. Nearly 815,447 acres (330,000 hectares) have been burned and 750 homes have been burned to the ground. In 1983, 75 people were killed on what was dubbed the . 71 people were killed in similar fires in 1939. The country's prime minister, Kevin Rudd , calls the fires "mass murder". The combination of Australia's long term drought, a record heat wave with temperatures as high as 47.2 degrees Celcius (117 Fahrenheit) and winds over 100km/h (60mph), sparked the dozens of fires across Victoria. Some are being investigated as arson. Over 60,000 firefighters are battling the various blazes. These fires although common in Australia have caught people unprepared due to their intensity and speed. Survivors of tell of how up until 10 minutes before the fire started to tear through their country town people were unaware of how close and dangerous the fire really was. 24 people from Kinglake and Kinglake West have died and hundreds of houses have burnt to the ground. Over 1,500 people in Kinglake alone have been left homeless, left with a town which has mostly burned to the ground. Many people have been caught in the terrifying position of staying and fighting for their houses or fleeing before the fires arrive. Many of the people who have died have attempted to flee in their cars too late and were caught in the middle of the inferno, some being burned alive. Despite the efforts of firefighters, many towns have been totally destroyed, leaving nothing but piles of ashes. Witnesses and survivors of fires in and , Victoria, describe the towns as being totally wiped out or substantially damaged. "What we can do is, with that manpower, really help out even if it's just a matter of relieving at times. We've obviously got to make sure we protect our domestic situation as well," said New Zealand prime minister .
D
Ash Wednesday fires
A
,
D
Kinglake
R
Marysville and Narbethong
and
D
John Key