• Raging bushfires in southeastern Australia
• Authorities battle more than 30 fires

Human remains were found in southeastern Australia amid raging bushfires for days, according to police, who said on Sunday that the fires damaged buildings, cut power to thousands of homes, and burned vast areas of forest.

These fires, spreading uncontrollably during a summer heatwave, are the worst in the region since the 2019-2020 "Black Summer" fires, which destroyed an area the size of Turkey and killed 33 people.

Police stated that the human remains were found near the town of Longwood, about 110 kilometers north of Melbourne, and the victim’s identity is still unknown.

The fires, among the largest burning on Sunday, have destroyed properties, vineyards, and farmland, while more than 30 fires remain active in the state of Victoria, according to Premier Jacinta Allan.

In the neighboring state of New South Wales, several fires near the Victorian border are rated at the highest danger level.

Chris Hardman, head of Forest Fire Management Victoria, said controlling the fires could take weeks, warning that they will not be contained before the return of hot, dry, and windy weather.

Allan announced a total fire ban in the state, while thousands of firefighters and more than 70 aircraft fight the blazes.

She noted that bushfire smoke is affecting air quality across large areas of Victoria, including metropolitan Melbourne.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the federal government will provide emergency funding to affected residents and farmers, who face "extraordinary costs to provide emergency livestock feed," noting that thousands of cattle may have been affected by the fires.