Jan. 27 (UPI) -- Wildfires continued to rage out of control across southwestern regions of the Australian state of Victoria on Tuesday, fanned by record high temperatures and a shift in the direction of winds gusting at more than 40 mph, authorities said.
At least three homes were feared razed near the town of Gellibrand in the Otways region, west of Melbourne, where firefighters were battling blazes intensified by the wind change with residents ordered to evacuate the so-called Carlisle River bushfire.
The fire is among six that have been scorching areas close to settlements for days, including a fast-moving grass fire northeast of Camperdown, which was threatening the town of Lismore, around 20 miles away, and an uncontrolled wildfire west of the Grampians National Park.
The Otways fire was "running hard and fast" since the change of wind direction on Tuesday afternoon, said Forest Fire Management Victoria Chief Fire Officer Chris Hardman.
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