Homes destroyed, more at risk as Australia bushfires continue to burn out of control

More than a dozen wildfires continued to burn across the Australian state of Victoria early this week as more residents were warned that they were in the path of the blazes.

At least 11 buildings have been destroyed by the fires including homes and a winery, according to The Guardian.

New emergency warnings were issued for Dargo and areas near Licola on Tuesday as more than 2,000 firefighters continued to battle the blazes across eastern Victoria.

Criticism of firefighting and fuel burn efforts in the region grew louder from angry and frightened residents on Tuesday, according to ABC News.

Minister for Emergency Services Lisa Neville said the area where the fire started was part of a fuel burn in 2016; however, drought in recent years has prevented further fuel-burning activities.

The fire is believed to have started from a lightning strike on Friday before growing rapidly in size over the weekend as winds increased.

A brief improvement in the weather on Monday and Tuesday allowed firefighters to gain some ground on the blazes; however, fears remained high as strong winds are forecast to blow across the region Wednesday.

Frequent wind gusts of 20-30 mph (32-48 km/h) will occur throughout the day, with occasional gusts as high as 40 mph (65 km/h). Changes in wind direction will also present a problem for firefighting efforts, as blazes can quickly expand and change direction.

Improvement is expected on Thursday and Friday as winds diminish; however, a few gusty winds are still possible each day.

A brief shower or thunderstorm is possible on Wednesday, but no widespread rainfall is expected through the weekend.

Across the country, the Bullsbrook bushfire has been brought under control, but officials have told residents to remain on alert due to gusty winds, which could reignite the fire on Wednesday.

Light rainfall may dampen the area Wednesday night, with less wind expected by Thursday.

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