SYDNEY, Nov 25 (Reuters) - A bushfire in southern Australia has killed two people and thousands of animals and destroyed homes and buildings along a 27-mile front, media reported on Wednesday, as the blaze headed for the wine-growing region of the Barossa Valley.
The fire comes after four people were killed in one of a series of wildfires sparked by lightning in Western Australia state last week. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N13D1KY
Wildfires are an annual summer event in Australia, but signs of rising temperatures have prompted some scientists to warn that climate change could increase the length and intensity of the fire season.
Two people had been killed by the fires in South Australia state where the blaze was being fanned by high winds, Australian Broadcasting Corp (ABC) said.
One resident told ABC he had no choice but to leave thousands of animals at a pig farm for dead.
Country Fire Service chief officer Greg Nettleton said the fire was moving so fast that fire crews could not establish positions at the front of the blaze.
"This is a particularly nasty fire. It will run right through the night and into tomorrow," Nettleton told media.
Weather conditions were expected to moderate on Thursday with lower temperatures and winds dropping during the day.