Bushfire

Bushfires, dust storms and damaging winds hit SA

Wild weather across the state has seen gale force winds, dust storms, bushfires and severe thunderstorm warnings.

As a vigorous windy front passes across South Australia, extreme weather conditions have hit the state. While an earlier severe thunderstorm warning has just been cancelled, SA is still facing a wild evening.

Dust storms in the North of the state have caused havoc on the roads earlier today, with the South Australia Police warning “Road users are advised to take care particularly on the Augusta H/Way and Port Wakefield Rd near Beaufort, as a dust storm is impacting on visibility. Please drive to the conditions & take care.”

On the Eyre Peninsula, wild wilds have seen multiple trees down near Port Lincoln on the Flinders Highway and Western approach.

Photo credit: Port Lincoln State Emergency Service

Closer to Adelaide, a bushfire alert has been issued for Williamstown in the Mount Lofty Ranges, where a fire is currently burning. Firefighters are attending this fire, however there’s there’s no threat to life or property at this stage.

If you are in this area stay alert, monitor local conditions and decide what you will do if the situation changes. For updates visit the CFS website (https://www.cfs.sa.gov.au/) or phone the Bushfire Information Hotline on 1800 362 361.

The Williamstown area of concern. Source: https://www.facebook.com/countryfireservice

Today’s Williamstown fire is in addition to another bushfire advice message for Nepean Bay, Flea Castle Road near American River, Eleven Kilometres South East off Kingscote on the Northern coast of Kangaroo Island.

The fire at Nepean Bay continues to burn into its second day.

The CFS have said that “the fire started in grassland north of Flea Castle Rd at about 3pm Friday afternoon, and spread into heavy scrub in a South Westerly direction towards Flea Castle Road. This scrub consists of very heavy, and predominantly inaccessible vegetation, and CFS crews were confronted with significant flame heights.”

“Initial firefighting efforts focused on ensuring the fire in surrounding grassland and crop was extinguished, with a view to containing the fire to the native scrub. This was achieved with CFS Crews working in conjunction with heavy machinery, approximately 10 local farm fire units and supported by 4 waterbombing and 2 aerial observation aircraft.”

“Crews worked overnight conducting back-burning operations and using heavy machinery to establish containment lines, ahead of strengthening winds today. These operations have involved burning out most of the heavy vegetation in this area, with approximately 125ha now burnt. This work has been critical, with forecast Westerly winds of 40-60kph today. There are 8 CFS appliances, supported by crews from National Parks and Wildlife and approximately 5 private farm units, as well as heavy machinery working on the fireground today. Additionally, 2 waterbombing aircraft remain pre-positioned on Kangaroo Island today as additional cover should the fire escape containment lines.”

“Whilst a small amount of rain has fallen on the fireground this morning, it has had minimal effect and the fire is expected to burn for at least another day. Whilst the strong winds remain an ongoing concern, the increased moisture in the air and lower temperatures have provided crews some relief.”

If you are in this area stay alert, monitor local conditions and decide what you will do if the situation changes.

Last night there was also a fire in the Marino Conservation Park, which is now under control.

The Marino fire. Photos by Becky Blake

At around 10.30 pm last night, fire swept through the western slopes of Marino Conservation Park, burning some 75% of the coastal heath vegetation.

This patch of coastal heath is one of the last and best remaining example in the Adelaide metropolitan area , preserving the sort of vegetation that once grew along the whole of the coastline. It was primarily for this reason that Marino was proclaimed a conservation park some 30 years ago.

Thanks to the efforts of the CFS, one section of the heath which contained a number of rare and vulnerable plants, was saved and the volunteers are hopeful that given it doesn’t appear to have been an excessively hot burn, many of the plants will recover over time.

The Friends of Marino Conservation Park need our support right now, so if you would like to reach out to them please contact Alan Wilson on 0499 933 331.

Stay up to date with the latest weather warnings here.

Stay up to date with the South Australia CFS here.

Stay up to date with the Port Lincoln State Emergency Service here.

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