At least fourteen people were killed on Saturday in the savage bushfires which started in Victoria state in south Australia. Victoria police confirmed the deaths on Saturday night and said they fear the figure may reach into the 40s.

A firetruck is seen as a bushfire approaches the town of Labertouche, 90km (56 miles) east of Melbourne, February 7, 2009. Aircraft dropped water bombs on raging Australian bush fires and homes went up in flames on Saturday as a once-in-a-century heatwave sent temperatures in Melbourne to their highest on record. Australian bush fires killed 14 people in the southern state of Victoria on Saturday, police and local media said.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

He believed arsonists were responsible for some of the nine major fires ripping across the state.

“We suspect a number of the fires have been deliberately lit,” Australian Associated Press quoted Walshe as saying.

The fire started in East Kilmore, 80 kilometres north of Melbourne, and covered a huge area as it pushed 30 kilometres east to Kinglake through the small townships of Wandong, Strathewen and Clonbinane.

Walshe said he did not know whether the victims were locals or firefighters and identification can’t be carried out until Sunday. He also said a lot of people will be homeless.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet