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One dead in South Australian wildfire

Police discovered a dead body yesterday in a house destroyed by a wildfire. Meanwhile, cooler temperatures brought relief to thousands of firefighters battling blazes across southern Australia.

South Australian state police said investigators were examining the remains of a person found inside a charred building in the rural community of Willunga, south of the capital, Adelaide.

"It is believed that a grassfire started which then at some point engulfed the house," police spokesman Tim Dodds said.

The wildfire, which was sparked late on Wednesday, destroyed around 15 hectares of grassland before it was contained, the state Country Fire Service said.

In neighboring Victoria state, where fires have charred more than 10,000km2 of forest and farmland since the start of the southern hemisphere summer, light rains and cooler temperatures brought relief to thousands of firefighters ahead of hot weather expected later this week.

Weather bureaus have predicted temperatures above 40oC for tomorrow, prompting a warning by the Victoria state Premier Steve Bracks on Wednesday that the worst was still to come.

"We've had some light rain in most of the bushfire areas, so that combined with higher humidities and lighter winds mean that the fire activity is lessened in all areas," said Stuart Ord, a spokesman for the Department of Sustainability and Environment. "That gives us a chance to get our firefighting people right on the edge in a lot of these places."

Residents of northeastern Victoria -- hardest hit by the fires -- were ordered to remain on high alert after a local blaze destroyed five homes, 20 sheds and 70 livestock earlier this week.
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