SYDNEY: 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.

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 said.

One resident said he had no choice but to leave thousands of animals at a farm for dead.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2015