A bushfire has burnt within 100 metres of homes on the outskirts of Port Lincoln, on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula.
About 180 firefighters battled the blaze, which has burnt 1,700 hectares of scrub. With huge plumes of smoke billowing into the air, some residents left their homes as a precaution. However, there have been no reports of property damage. Temperatures peaked above 36 degrees yesterday before a cool change helped the Country Fire Service (CFS) in their efforts to bring the blaze under control.
However, residents and visitors to the region have been told to remain vigilant. The CFS said it was vital that people had a bushfire survival plan, had situational awareness, and were able to access information as soon as they need to.
The area is prone to bushfires and the latest blaze brings back terrible memories for some. In January 2005, the Eyre Peninsula was the site of a huge blaze which killed nine people. Earlier this year, another bushfire destroyed a campervan, a caravan and a dozen cabins as it swept into a caravan park.
Over the last day or two there have been about 300 fires across South Australia, many of them sparked by the lightning. Thunderstorms moved across the state after a day of hot and windy weather, with more than 31,000 lightning strikes recorded.
CFS State co-ordinator, Brenton Eden, praised the efforts of the firefighters who battled the blazes across the state.
“The skill and experience of everyone involved in these incidents deserve high praise for their efforts,” he told the ABC. “This effectively has resulted in no major losses of property or serious injuries.”
Mr Eden said that smoke from the Port Lincoln fires has drifted over the gulf towards Adelaide and members of the public should not be concerned but advised anyone with respiratory problems to stay indoors and close all doors and windows until the smoke has passed.
With family over that way it’s always a concern.
I’m currently on lower Yorke Peninsula surrounded by grain crops – very dry grain crops, standing by for reaping.
No machinery enters these paddocks until the danger is cleared.
I spent this week looking around for smoke. Early warnings and alerts are the best weapon against these catastrophies.
This end of the world is tinder dry.
Anyone travelling in the vicinity of bushfires should be careful, and avoid passing through the fire. Caravans have vinyl awnings and fibreglass fittings, and it’s just not featible to enter a fire zone.
Take care and stay alert.