Wildfires destroy homes in Australia

Authorities are assessing damage from almost 100 wildfires burning across Australia's most populous state, which have killed one man, destroyed homes and forced hundreds to evacuate.

Milder conditions in New South Wales helped firefighters after Thursday's unseasonably hot temperatures and strong winds compounded conditions and threatened towns surrounding the state capital, Sydney.

Rural Fire Service (RFS) spokeswoman Natalie Sanders said the number of fires had dropped from more than 100 overnight to 94, burning across more than 300 miles.

But 28 fires remained out of control, she said.

Assessment teams and police moved into the destruction zones in search of survivors and victims, he said. Officials were also trying to determine how many homes were destroyed.

The RFS said a 63-year-old man had a fatal heart attack while he was fighting a blaze at his home at Lake Munmorah, north of Sydney, late Thursday.

Two firefighters were admitted to hospitals with injuries, and one underwent surgery, Barry O'Farrell, New South Wales premier, said.

Hundreds of residents spent Thursday night in dozens of evacuation centers in the Blue Mountains and elsewhere in New South Wales.

Most were unaware of the fates of their homes.

Rob Rogers, RFS deputy commissioner, said firefighters would not be able to extinguish the blazes before high temperatures and strong winds are expected to return on Sunday and Monday.

Wildfires are common throughout Australia in the warmer months.

In February 2009, the Black Saturday wildfires in the state of Victoria killed 173 people, destroyed more than 2,000 homes and caused $4.4 billion in damage.

Al Jazeera and wire services