BURRAGATE, Australia (AP) — Two wildfires have merged to form a massive inferno in southeast Australia, and man suffered serious burns protecting a home during a night of treacherous conditions during the nation's unprecedented fire crisis.

Authorities were assessing the damage Saturday after firefighters battled flames fanned by strong winds through the night and lightning strikes sparked new blazes in New South Wales and Victoria, Australia's most populous states. Conditions were milder Saturday and forecast to remain relatively benign for the next week.

"In the scheme of things, we did OK l...