Fresh evacuation orders in Australia as bushfire threatens rural towns

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Hundreds more residents in Australia's Victoria state were urged to evacuate their properties immediately on Friday after a bushfire that has destroyed several properties and killed livestock continued to threaten rural towns.

More than 2,000 people on Thursday fled from towns in Victoria's west after emergency evacuation orders were issued to leave while it was still safe and head east to the nearby regional hub of Ballarat, 95 km (59 miles) west of Melbourne.