Forest Fires Out Of Control Near Port Lincoln, NSW - High Winds, 104F Temps Boost Danger

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Less than a year after 173 people lost their lives in fires in neighbouring Victoria state, officials warned that searing heat and strong winds could prove catastrophic as a large blaze burned outside the town of Port Lincoln.

"We have unconfirmed reports of losses of five to six residences. There are other residential and commercial structures under threat," a Country Fire Service spokeswoman told state radio.

One resident, named Ray, told ABC radio he expected his house to be gone after watching "flames above the roof" as he fled. He added: "I'd just like to say to people who are out there on the roads and blocking the roads, people like me are fleeing for our lives."

The Country Fire Service said the fire was just a few kilometres (miles) from Port Lincoln and extremely dangerous, cutting electricity to thousands of homes. A second major inferno was blazing near the town of Kingston in the state's southeast, directly threatening a number of farms, it added.

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http://www.terradaily.com/2007/091223075217.t3n2o8pv.html