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For our first report, we're taking you to the nation and continent of Australia. In the southeast part of the country, the Australian state of New South Wales, a massive bushfire recently roared up to Tathra, a small town on the Australian coast. It spread so fast that hundreds of people had to run to the beaches or take refuge in other towns nearby. One resident said she walked the beach for three miles with more than 200 other people to get away from the heat.
People who live in Tathra say its cellphone reception is notoriously bad, even when there's not disaster. And the lack of dependable information reportedly left some folks in the dark about how serious and how close the fire was before it hit.
But while local officials say a number of people needed to be treated for smoke inhalation, no one is missing and no one seriously injured. The bushfire destroyed around 70 homes, about 40 others were damaged, and that's in addition to dozens of caravans or cabins that burned.
Firefighters were able to save 400 houses.
They were hoping to have the fire contained yesterday afternoon. That means they have walled off so that it doesn't spread further. The next step for residents will be to return to their homes and see what needs to be done.
Bushfires and forest fires are common disasters in Australia.
