Fires swept Australia and, driven by high...

Fires swept Australia and, driven by high winds and scorching temperatures, killed three people, forced evacuations and blackened hundreds of thousands of acres of forest, grazing land and bush. Hundreds of sheep, cattle and wild animals died after being trapped in flames that swept the states of South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales. A man and two of his grandchildren were killed by fire near Melbourne, and residents of Maryborough were evacuated as 800 firemen fought a blaze there.