Australian expatriates horrified by bushfires.

Byline: Australian expatriates in Dubai have spoken of their horror after bushfires wreaked havoc in their homeland.

Dubai: Australian expatriates in Dubai have spoken of their horror after bushfires wreaked havoc in their homeland.

At least 170 people have been killed and dozens of rural towns have been completely destroyed in Australia's southeastern state of Victoria. Dozens of blazes have also been reported in New South Wales and South Australia, with temperatures soaring to 45C.

Maegan Kerr, a 36-year-old proposals manager from Melbourne, said: "It's just devastating; everyone at home is really shocked. Nobody can believe the extent of the fires and unfortunately it looks like the death toll is going to rise.

"I find the whole thing really upsetting because my parents and brother live in Victoria. I feel quite useless living so far away from home and I've been on the phone to my family every day since the fires started. However, it does make me realise I worry about trivial matters on a daily basis. What really matters is the wellbeing of my family and friends."

Over 500 people have been injured and nearly 10,000 homes destroyed across 365,000 hectares of land since the fires broke out earlier this month.

Daniel Errington, a 34-year-old bar manager from western Australia, said: "I know a lot of people have flown from the west coast of Australia to be closer to their families. It's difficult living so far away from home when something like this is happening - you want to be there to support your friends and family. We have not had fires like this in Australia for a long time and it's terrible watching the devastation on the news from so far away."

Police believe some of the fires were started deliberately - actions which Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said amounted to "mass murder". The death toll from the blazes is expected to rise over the next few days as the operation to recover bodies continues.

Nadia Cusano, a 24-year-old senior recruitment consultant from Adelaide, said she was saddened and angry at reports stating some of the bushfires were started by arsonists.

She said: "It saddens me that some of the fires appear to have been deliberately lit. As an Australian my thoughts go out to all those affected and to the volunteers that have battled the extreme conditions. Australian summers are very enjoyable due to the great beach culture and climate, but the [climate is] very dry and many states experience heatwaves with temperatures averaging above 40C.

"The number of lives lost is now almost triple that of the Ash Wednesday fires in 1983, when 47 people were killed by bushfires in Victoria and South Australia.

A tragedy like this really puts things into perspective. Everyone is facing a tough time due to the economic downturn but the victims of the bushfires have lost their homes, livelihoods and, in the worst case scenarios, loved ones."

An estimated 15,000 Australians reside in the UAE.

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