Dozens missing after Tasmania fires

NEW: "At least I'm still alive. I realize I'm very lucky to be alive," an evacuee says NEW: Conditions should be windy and hot Monday but are expected to cool afterward NEW: A local mayor says there are no reports of fatalities from the sweeping fires The fires devastated the Tasmanian towns of Dunalley and Boomer Bay (CNN) -- Two bushfires still rage out of control in southeast Tasmania, high heat and strong winds persist and scores are coming to grips with the destruction causes by the flames that have already rushed through. Yet, for all the tears shed thus far, the news could be worse. "It's been a nightmare," Richard Scolyer told Nine News, a CNN affiliate. "I just go along with what happens. "At least I'm still alive. I realize I'm very lucky to be alive." Wildfires that tore through tens of thousands of hectares on the island off Australia's southern coast may have destroyed more than 100 homes, but they haven't caused any known deaths, police and local officials told multiple CNN affiliates. "We've had no reports of fatalities at this stage," Sorrell Council Mayor Kerry Vincent told CNN affiliate Sky Australia early Monday. Vincent's territory includes Dunalley, where about 65 homes and an elementary school were destroyed Friday in addition to dozens more homes and businesses in neighboring communities, authorities said. But officials aren't yet ruling out the possibility that the fires might have killed some people, especially in more remote areas. The Red Cross, police and other government agencies have been working to track down those from the most ravaged areas, while fire and other authorities comb through buildings that were scorched, Vincent noted. "As you can imagine with this sort of scale of disaster, there are people dispersed everywhere around the community -- staying with friends, sleeping in their cars -- so it is a process," the mayor said, adding that "the emotions were starting to hit home very much" Sunday. Some -- like Scolyer, who arrived with nothing more than a toothbrush and the clothes he was wearing -- found refuge in the prison-turned-tourist attraction in Port Arthur. There, they have been given meals and other necessities. They've also found plenty of company in their heartbreak. "Apparently, it's burnt out," Garry Fahey said of his house. "But it's home, no matter what it's like." Back in Dunalley, Ivan Kelly and his sons drove through the flames to escape, only to return later to find their homes and the timber mill they once owned scorched. Paige Kelly, one of the sons, said the family is trying to figure out how to tell the people who worked there that the mill may not come back. "How do you tell somebody that?" Kelly told Nine News. "I don't know." While this town already has been decimated, others remained in danger Monday. According to a Monday morning update from the Tasmania Fire Service, "watch and alert" advisories have been issued for a pair of fires that have already collectively burned about 29,000 hectares (110 square miles). As of that time -- and despite some progress overnight -- neither of those bushfires was under control. "Although there has been a decrease in weather conditions and fire activity overnight and this morning, people need to remain vigilant, as fire and weather conditions can change rapidly," the service said for the larger of the two blazes, known as the Forcett Fire. Mother Nature wasn't helping much Monday, where high temperatures in the most affected areas are expected to reach 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit), according to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. The same forecast for southeast Tasmania called for daytime winds of 20 to 30 kph (12 to 19 mph), slowly slightly by evening. Cooler temperatures are likely and isolated rain showers are possible for Tuesday and Wednesday, though winds could also intensify on those days. Aerial photographs taken earlier by Nine News showed the fire's fury as it hopscotched homes in Dunalley and Boomer Bay, burning two homes, leaving one standing and then burning another. Tasmania's fire chief told reporters Sunday that firefighters hope to bring the blaze under control by Tuesday. Part of the problem is the rugged nature of the Tasman Peninsula -- in the southeast part of island -- where the fires have been burning since last week, Chief Fire Officer Mike Brown said Sunday. "There (are) still some problems getting fire vehicles into the Tasman Peninsula to work more on protecting properties and protecting assets,'' he said. if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();} CNN's Chelsea J. Carter contributed to this report.