Australian homes in ruins after rampaging bushfires

Aerial views from a helicopter on Monday showed the damage done by bushfires that have raged across Australia. 

More than 8 million hectares (19.8 million acres) of land have so far been destroyed in the current fire season, nearly the size of Austria.

Australian officials used a respite on Monday from fierce wildfires that have killed 25 people across the country's southeast to race to reopen blocked roads and evacuate people who have been trapped for days.

A second day of light rain and cool winds brought some relief from heatwave-fueled blazes that ripped through two states over the weekend, but officials warned the hazardous weather conditions were expected to return later in the week.

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