Australia bushfires destroy homes, kill cattle

SYDNEY (AFP) – High temperatures and strong winds have fuelled large grass and bushfires in Australia, officials said Monday, reducing dozens of houses to ash and killing cattle. Up to 70 homes and buildings were damaged or destroyed in the picturesque seaside village of Tathra on the south coast of New South Wales when a fire tore through the area on Sunday. Some 40,000 hectares (100,000 acres) were also scorched in southwestern regions of neighboring Victoria as dozens of blazes swept through over the weekend, wiping out beef and dairy cattle. Despite the damage, authorities said there were no reports of serious injuries or deaths. ''It was an absolutely awful set of circumstances yesterday afternoon for the community of Tathra, dominated by this very hot, dry air and these very strong winds,'' NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons told Sky News Australia Monday.