Winds fanning dangerous Australia brush fires

MELBOURNE, Feb. 9 (UPI) -- Fierce winds continued blowing through southern Australia where officials said several houses and farm buildings had been destroyed by wildfires.

Dozens of blazes were burning in Victoria Sunday fanned by winds gusting up to 100 kilometers (62 miles) per hour.

The Australian Broadcasting Corp. said officials had not yet come up with a solid number of structures lost; however the fires were considered to be the worst outbreak since the so-called Black Sunday disaster of 2009 that destroyed more than 3,000 structures and claimed 173 lives.

ABC said 70 fires were burning in Victoria, including some near the outskirts of Melbourne.