The Associated Press

HOBART, Australia — Wildfires continued to blaze out of control across southern Australia Tuesday as firefighters assessed damage caused by a firestorm that engulfed a rural community overnight, sending residents fleeing.

The fire swept through Scamander township on the island state of Tasmania late Monday, razing at least 14 homes, according to local media reports. Tasmanian Fire Service spokesman Danny Reid said investigators were trying to access the region Tuesday to assess the damage.

No deaths were immediately reported, but some media reports said one person had been burned.

Reid said firefighters had been helpless to stop the blaze amid 120 kph (74 mph) wind gusts.

"The conditions were that bad there was nothing to be done," he said. "It just went off like a bomb ... you can't fight that, you can't defend it. (It was a) horrible afternoon and night."

Scamander resident Sue Brown fled her home as the fire approached.

"It was terrifying, I just grabbed my dog and my daughter and we went," Brown said.

There was no relief in sight Tuesday, as strong winds continued to push the blaze toward cities and towns.

Meanwhile, a series of fires that have already razed more than 250,000 hectares (617,750 acres) of alpine and farm land continued to blaze across the southern state of Victoria on Tuesday.

With soaring temperatures and gusty winds forecast later this week, state official Benjamin White said he feared the worst was yet to come.

Wildfires are a regular feature of Australia's hot summer months, but the danger is heightened this year because of the country's worst drought in more than a century.