Bush fires claim four lives
The fires, which hit the Canberra area on Saturday, forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes. At least 240 people, including some who used garden hoses and buckets to protect their property, were treated for burns and smoke inhalation.
"I have been to a lot of bushfire scenes in Australia ... but this is by far the worst," Prime Minister John Howard said.
The fires were contained last night though they still smouldered in some areas and authorities feared the wind could rekindle the flames.
Police patrolled charred and deserted neighbourhoods amid isolated reports of looting. Smoke and embers drifted across the city of 320,000 people.
Residents told of a fast-moving fire, driven by hot, dry winds.
"We just got a few precious things out and the family dog and within two minutes the house was just gone," said resident Tony Walter. "It just exploded."
In Duffy district, Chris Houghton surveyed the charred ruins of his home.
"I was in the back yard and the heat got me. I was just burning," said Houghton, who was treated for burns to his hands. "It all happened so quickly."
The fire damaged or destroyed homes, schools, the historic Stromlo Observatory along with thousands of acres of pine forests. John Stanhope, chief minister of the territory that includes Canberra, estimated the cost of the damage in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
Jason Walker, who lives in the suburb of Lyons, said his house survived, but the fire destroyed those of his neighbours.
Those who died included one man who apparently died of smoke inhalation. Another victim was an 83-year-old woman.
"It is a day of enormous sadness," Stanhope said. "What we experienced today is a once in 100 years or 200 years experience."
Most of the fires were caused by lightning strikes in a nearby national park.
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