Tathra bushfire in pictures: Devastating fire rips through Australian town

Almost 100 homes and buildings have been damaged or destroyed in the picturesque seaside village after a fire tore through the area.

A combination of soaring temperatures and strong winds have been blamed for fuelling massive grass and bushfires, reducing dozens of houses to ash and killing cattle.

Residents fled to the beach to avoid the flames as flying embers quickly carried the fire front forward.

No deaths or serious injuries have been reported but the bushfires have caused extensive damage in rural areas of Victoria and New South Wales.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said: “At this stage (there have been) no lives lost.”

Bushfires are a common and deadly threat in Australia’s hot, dry summers, fuelled by highly flammable eucalyptus trees.

The 2009 Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria killed 173 people and injured more than 400.

Rural Fire Service and New South Wales Fire and Rescue continue to mop up and douse smouldering homes after a devastating fire ripped through the community.