Storms bring destructive winds and ignite wildfires across Australian state of Victoria

By ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Powerful winds have killed a man and brought widespread destruction across Australia’s second-most populous state, leaving 530,000 homes and businesses without power and fanning fires that razed homes and injured five firefighters. Emergency Management Commissioner Rick Nugent said on Wednesday winds of up to 157 kph (98 mph) toppled six electricity transmission towers on Tuesday and caused one of the largest number of power outages Victoria state has ever experienced. A 50-year-old dairy farmer was killed by flying debris. Storms also brought lightning strikes that sparked several forest fires in the west of the state. Nugent confirmed homes have been lost but declined to provide an estimate of how many.