Australian wildfires raze 95 homes in single township

PERTH, Australia — An official says wildfires blazing out of control in Western Australia state have destroyed about 95 homes in a single township and are threatening other communities.

Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Wayne Gregson said Friday that three people are unaccounted for and four firefighters have sustained minor injuries battling the blazes that have scorched 50,000 hectares (125,000 acres) of woods and farmland since they were ignited by lightning strikes Wednesday. People are often reported unaccounted for while evacuating from fire zones but usually turn up unharmed.

READ: 4 killed in wildfires raging across Australia’s southwest

Gregson says the township of Yarloop, 125 kilometers (80 miles) southwest of Perth, lost 95 homes — about one third of its dwellings — as the fire front hit Thursday.

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