Raging Australian bushfire destroys homes
The fire in Western Australia has destroyed a swathe of more than 9,000 hectares (22,240 acres) and 71 homes, the authorities say, in a reminder of blazes that destroyed millions of hectares of habitat in the country's east a year ago.
As firefighters battled a blaze in steep, inhospitable terrain, authorities told residents of Bullsbrook, a suburb of 6,600 in Australia's fourth largest city, to ignore a stay-home order and leave immediately as hot, dry weather picked up.
"We know how quickly things can go bad," state premier Mark McGowan told a news conference, adding that one of his personal acquaintances had lost their home.
No deaths have been reported from the fires, the origins of which are still unknown.
