Four people have been killed in massive bushfires raging along the south coast of Western Australia as winds hit 90 kilometres an hour, news reports said Wednesday, according to dpa. Police confirmed the deaths and warned people in isolated communities along the coast to get out as the 70 kilometre long fire front is whipped along by strong winds. The fires were started by more than 110 lightning strikes Tuesday. The sparsely populated area is mostly open farmland and national parks. The chief superintendent of the Department of Fire and Emergency Services, Murray Bawden, told the broadcaster ABC three homes had been lost and hundreds of spot fires had sprung up. The fires are 20 kilometres east and 47 kilometres north of the coastal town of Esperance, but the picturesque town is not threatened at this stage. Fire fighters are on their way from Perth, which is 720 kilometres to the east.
