Residents Evacuated As Fires Burn Close To Australia's Third-Largest City

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) -- Officials declared a state of emergency in parts of Australia's northeastern Queensland state and evacuated people from their homes Saturday, after grass fires broke out across a parched area.

``We have had a lot of grass fires today to the south and west of Brisbane'' said Michael Franks of Queensland Fire and Rescue Service. Brisbane is Queensland's capital.

Franks said he did not have exact figures for the number of people who'd been evacuated as strong winds drove the flames close to several suburbs and towns on the edges of Brisbane.

But he said no homes were destroyed, and no injuries or deaths were reported.

Police had declared states of emergency in at least three areas, allowing officers to close roads and order residents from their homes if they refused to leave voluntarily.

Much of eastern Australia is in the grip of a drought that has left forests and grassland tinder dry, leading to the annual wildfire season starting several weeks earlier than usual.

By late Saturday, all those evacuated had been allowed to return to their homes, but firefighters were braced for more trouble on Sunday.

Franks said the causes of the fires had not been established.