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Out-of-control
bushfires in Victoria and South Australia
'Worst
of conditions imaginable'
3
January, 2015
Firefighters
in South Australia and Victoria are battling out-of-control
bushfires, with warnings that this weekend's conditions are the worst
since Ash Wednesday in 1983.
Dozens
of homes are feared lost and lives are under threat as a massive fire
burns uncontrolled on all fronts in the Adelaide Hills after an
afternoon wind change, the ABC reported.
Meanwhile,
new fires have broken out in Victoria, with an emergency warning
called at Hastings.
In
South Australia, a bushfire at Sampson Flat in the Southern Mount
Lofty Ranges, north-east of Adelaide, has been burning freely towards towщnships.
South
Australian Country Fire Service (CFS) chief officer Greg Nettleton
estimated it had burnt close to 10,000 hectares and may not be
brought under control until early next week.
"We've
got a lot of work to do out there, first of all in controlling the
fire and then cleaning up all the insecure edges," he said.
"It
will be affected by south-westerly winds through tonight which means
the fire will travel in a north-easterly direction.
"We'll
be working very hard to try and get that fire secured before hot and
windy conditions that are anticipated on Wednesday."
Around
500 firefighters supported by 100 appliances and 14 aircraft were
battling the blaze, with more personnel and trucks to arrive from New
South Wales.
At
least five homes have been destroyed and dozens more threatened.
Mr
Nettleton said six volunteers had received medical treatment, mostly
for smoke inhalation.
CFS
assistant chief officer Rob Sandford said firefighters were doing
their best, "in what are the worst of conditions imaginable for
firefighting ... We're thinking likely dozens of houses lost."
Police
earlier declared the fire a major emergency, giving authorities the
power to forcibly evacuate people or block them from entering the
region.
Fire
burns out of control north of Adelaide earlier on Saturday.
At least two relief centres have been set up in South Australia. Photo: AAP
Hundreds evacuated in South Australia
Earlier
today, the CFS said the fire was travelling in a very erratic manner
and burning freely in all directions towards Golden Grove, Upper
Hermitage, Break Neck Hill, Kersbrook Township, One Tree Hill
Township, Little Para Reservoir, Chain of Ponds and the Townships of
Inglewood, Houghton, Cuddle Creek and Lower Heritage.
There
was a risk to lives and homes and the CFS urged locals in the
affected areas to enact their bushfire survival plans.
Some
of the homes confirmed to have been destroyed were believed to be at
Upper Heritage.
It
was understood hundreds of people have been evacuated to the Golden
Grove Recreation Centre and that another relief centre had been set
up at Sandy Creek.
The
CFS said a separate forest fire at Tantanoola in the state's
south-east, which has burnt up to 700 hectares, has been slowed.
About
2000 firefighters have attended dozens of incidents across South
Australia today, with some sparked by lightning strikes as storms
moved across the state.
New emergency warning in Victoria
A
cool change - with strong winds and lightning - is starting to move
through Victoria, as firefighters tackle a large fire that threatened
homes and communities in the state's west.
New
fires are also breaking out ahead of a band of rain approaching
Melbourne from the west.
An
emergency warning has been issued for Hastings, Bittern and Crib
Point, south-east of Melbourne.
A
fast-moving out-of-control bushfire was travelling in a southerly
direction but is now moving in an easterly direction as the weather
change moves through the area.
The
Country Fire Authority Victoria (CFA) said this could increase the
danger of the situation.
The
watch and act alert for a fire near the towns of Moyston, Rocky
Point, Willaura North, Maroona, and Langi Logan, has been downgraded.
Firefighters
have stopped the spread of the fire and rain has helped ease fire
conditions.
The
fire, one of more than 300 fires that have started over in the state
over the past two days, has claimed one house and destroyed around
5000 hectares.
High
temperatures continued to create dangerous conditions in other parts
of Victoria, with Melbourne sitting on almost 38°C.
Ambulance
Victoria said paramedics attended several calls for elderly people
suffering heat-related illness, as well as one drowning and four
calls for children locked in car.
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