MELBOURNE, Australia — Firefighters in Victoria are taking advantage of cooler conditions to strengthen containment lines around a dozen major bushfires that have scorched vast tracts of land, destroyed homes, and claimed at least one life.

Authorities said Tuesday that more than 500 structures, including nearly 180 homes, have been lost or damaged since the fires erupted last week amid soaring temperatures and strong winds. The blazes have also devastated farms, with officials estimating that more than 15,000 livestock perished in the infernos.

The largest of the fires, the Longwood blaze north of Seymour, has burned through about 136,000 hectares of bushland and was sparked by a trailer traveling along the Hume Highway that released........

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