MOUNT VICTORIA - Firefighters in Australia battled hot, dry winds and soaring temperatures on Wednesday as new blazes were whipped up in a week-long bushfire emergency, but fears of a catastrophe eased. 

With the crisis in its seventh day, some 71 fires were raging across an area with a perimeter of 1 600km in New South Wales (NSW) state and 29 of them were uncontained. 

• Warnings were again issued for people to be extra-vigilant, although there were no reports of more property being lost.

Police now fear that as many as 300 people may have perished in Victoria's bushfires.
The official total stands at 173 but police have yet to enter some areas where they know there will be more fatalities. They have been told to brace for the death toll to rise steeply.
Police will officially announce the structure of the fire taskforce Phoenix later today. It will be under the control of Assistant Commissioner (crime) Dannye Maloney. The chief investigator will be former homicide investigator Detective Superintendent Paul Hollowood. Up to 55 crime department staff will be seconded to Phoenix. Crime department squads and units have been told to downgrade non-urgent investigations as detectives are re-assigned to the fire unit.
The task force will have several main roles. It will investigate the cause of the fires to identify arson cases and charge the offenders. It will prepare a massive brief for the coroner on the circumstances surrounding the deaths of each bushfire victim. It will also liaise and provide information to the bushfire royal commission.
Police say the task force is likely to operate for more than a year.
Meanwhile DOCTORS fear for the lives of a number of patients with burn injuries and smoke inhalation.
Close to 600 patients have presented to emergency departments in Victoria, a spokesman for the state's Health Minister, Daniel Andrews, said. Of these 120 were admitted, 55 of them children.
Twenty-one patients were in intensive care last night, including two children.
Source: WORLD NEWS