Seven houses were wrecked Friday and three firefighters injured as bushfires propelled by high winds raced through rural properties on Australia's east coast. The Queensland Fire and Rescue Service (QFRS) said four houses at Crows Nest, two near Toowoomba, and one at Mudgeeraba on the Gold Coast had been gutted by fire. Three firefighters were taken to hospital and others were treated for injuries while battling blazes in the Gold Coast region. At Wongawallan, a fireman was hit by a falling tree and taken to hospital with head and back injuries, Australia's AAP news agency reported. Another fireman suffered heart problems while fighting a fire at Mudgeeraba. "The conditions today have been horrific," QRFS spokesman Len Jeavons said. "We've had firefighters putting themselves in front of flames to save houses."
