Australian authorities criticised for killer fire

Australian authorities faced stiff criticism yesterday that they were ill-prepared for a weekend firestorm that killed four and destroyed 402 homes in Canberra, even as nearby fires continued to threaten the capital.

A thick blanket of smoke hung over the devastated city as fire-fighters combed through the smouldering ruins of hundreds of homes destroyed in Canberra's worst-ever bushfire crisis, and fires continued to burn unchecked in parkland outside the city.

But with city blazes under control, authorities fought off accusations that the Australian Capital Territory - with just 12 pumper trucks to fight blazes - had been unprepared to defend its 300,000 residents from bushfires raging nearby for a week.

"I know a lot of people were concerned that they didn't see a fire truck. But they also need to understand that the urban edge of the ACT is actually very extensive," territory fire chief Peter Lucas-Smith told a news conference.

One man, who fought fires with a group of neighbours for 12 hours, said residents should have had more warning of the dangers posed by fires burning south of the city for more than a week.

"To let it get this close without warning people is ridiculous," he told Reuters as he surveyed the devastated street where only four homes out of 15 remained standing.

Fire-fighters never reached the neighbourhood. Canberra residents spent Saturday morning in ignorant bliss before emergency officials realised nearby bushfires were being blown into the city and raised the alarm. By 3 p.m. (0400 GMT), streets were clogged with residents desperately trying to get home to hose down roofs and lawns.

Chief Minister Jon Stanhope implored angry local residents and media to blame his government, not the estimated 500 fire-fighters who fought losing battles against the flames.

"If you want to blame somebody, blame me," he told reporters, promising a coroner's inquest into the deaths of four people who died from burns or smoke inhalation while defending their homes.

From the air, the western side of Australia's park-like capital appeared a blackened oasis surrounded by miles of devastated pine plantation and a blanket of black ash.

Emerald swimming pools and lush green cricket ovals sit untouched just steps away from row upon row of burned-out houses, a high school, health centre, animal hospital and space observatory which lined the long edge of the "bush capital".

Many residents refused to criticise fire-fighters for the devastation, saying it would have been impossible to defend so many homes nestled in the sprawling capital's eucalyptus-covered hills.

"I don't believe any of the fire people or police people were sitting at home having a cup of coffee... we just don't have that kind of infrastructure," Lea McLean told Reuters as she posed her two sons for a commemorative picture before their destroyed home.

Ash stretched to the parliament buildings and embassies near the city centre, where hundreds of foreign diplomats live.

Nearly 300 people were injured and three serious burn victims were evacuated to Sydney, about 300 kilometres north.

Thousands have been evacuated to schools and community centres across the city and hundreds remained without electricity after fires downed power lines across the western suburbs.

Smoke from fires along Australia's southeast coast hampered visibility yesterday, and play at the Australian Open tennis event in Melbourne was suspended after players complained it was hard to breathe.

Fires raged uncontrolled in alpine areas of Victoria and New South Wales states, with more than 197,700 acres burned north of Melbourne since lightning sparked fires 14 days ago. Several small towns were prepared to evacuate if conditions worsened.