Wildfires have destroyed up to 50 homes in New Zealand, authorities announced yesterday, saying it was a miracle no one was hurt as "a wall of orange" razed most of a remote South Island village. The blaze began in a mountain forest early Sunday morning and, fanned by strong winds, swept through the village of Lake Ohau, forcing residents to flee for their lives. Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) said the unpredictable winds made fighting the fire "challenging" and by yesterday afternoon it had burned 4,600 hectares of land.