Fresh warnings issued for bushfire-threatened Australian towns

A massive out-of-control bushfire in Australia's Victoria state that has destroyed properties and killed livestock prompted fresh evacuation alerts on Saturday for several rural towns. Emergency authorities early Saturday issued new warnings for the blaze, which on Thursday prompted more than 2,000 people to leave towns in the state's west and head to the nearby regional hub of Ballarat, 95 km (59 miles) west of state capital Melbourne. "Leaving immediately is the safest option, before conditions become too dangerous," Vic Emergency said on its website, regarding the fire that has burnt through more than 11,000 hectares (110 square kms).