Bushfires raging on the outskirts of Perth in Western Australia have destroyed at least 59 homes.
Firefighters are battling blazes to the east and north of the city, with the area declared a natural disaster zone.
High flames are being whipped up by winds of up to 70km/h (44mph). Hundreds of people have left their homes.
The blazes come exactly two years after 173 people died in bushfires that swept through the southern state of Victoria, causing widespread devastation.
More than 100 firefighters are battling from the ground and air to contain the fires that are burning in the bush-fringed suburbs of Perth.
Swirling flames have engulfed at least 59 houses and damaged nearly 30 more, officials said. There have been no reports of serious injuries or fatalities.
Residents of one Perth suburb, Clifton Hills, have been told they are allowed to return home.
A Fire and Emergency Services Authority incident controller told a meeting of affected residents that the fire had been contained and that the wind was now working in the firefighters' favour.
Other residents could face a longer wait as the fires in their area, while under control, are still burning. BBC News
