SYDNEY — More than 100 houses were destroyed by a Christmas Day wildfire that tore through a stretch of coastline popular with tourists in southern Australia, forcing thousands to flee their homes, officials said Saturday.
Cooler weather and light rain on Saturday eased the immediate threat from the blaze along Victoria state’s scenic Great Ocean Road, but officials warned that it could continue burning for weeks.
No one was killed or injured in the fire, said Victoria Emergency Management Commissioner Craig Lapsley.
“You’ve got to stand proud to say that people are with us — that is, they’ve walked away from the fire that had every potential to be a killer,” Lapsley said.