EAST Lancashire expatriates have spoken of their horror at witnessing the worst bush fires in Australia’s history.

Former Blackburn residents described the ‘stench’ of the burning bush which has claimed the lives of 135 people and wiped out entire towns.

The fires, some of which are believed to have been started deliberately, raged through the Australian state of Victoria after temperatures soared to over 45 degrees.

Two other Australian states, New South Wales and South Australia, have also been affected by blazes but theses are said to be contained.

At least 750 homes were destroyed and 850 square miles of land has been burn-ed out in all three states.

Carole Burton, 47, formerly of Pleckgate, Blackburn now lives in North Ringwood, Victoria 30 miles away from the fires.

She said: “The fires have wiped out people’s homes and livelihoods, in one town nearby only one building was left standing.

“Homes will be rebuilt over time but this should not have happened at all, it’s very sad, it has hit everyone hard.

"At work today a lot of people were saying that they had relatives who had died, or lost their houses.

“On Saturday we could smell the horrid stench of burning outside our house, which spread across the whole neighbourhood with the strong winds and temperatures of about 43 degrees.

“The smoke was covering everything in its presence. It was so bad we had to spend the entire day in our house.

"Luckily we live far enough away from the fires not to be worried about our home but a lot of people on the outskirts are fearing for their houses.”

IT consultant Graeme Alston moved from Blackburn to Melbourne five years ago.

His father Trevor Alston, of New-ington Avenue Blackburn said he had been worried after hearing about the fires.

He said:”Graeme emailed me today saying how horrific the fires have been.

"He told us how a town we had been to when we visited him for his wedding had been totally destroyed.

“He can see the smoke from where he lives and said that people have been extremely frightened.”