Hot Winds Spread Wildfires in Australia

Firefighters in Australia have to contend with 100-degree temperatures and strong winds in their battle to control two major wildfires.

The winds carried burning embers north and south of a fire which has already burned nearly 2,600 square miles of the state of Victoria.

Firefighters rushed to contain dozens of spot fires that broke out across a wide area in Gippsland district to stop the flames crossing firebreaks and spreading further south.

Further to the east, another big fire moved closer to farms near the towns of Tolmie and Toombullup and has the potential to do the most damage today, a spokesman for the Department of Sustainability and Environment told reporters.