SA bushfires mapped: What's happened where
Updated
In just a matter of hours the golden plains north of Adelaide were transformed into scorched earth as a deadly bushfire tore through the area with frightening speed and ferocity.
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Introduction
Towns, livestock and houses all went up in flames, leaving two people dead and more fighting for their lives. Here's what happened where.
- As it happened: Victim identified as battle to contain fires continues
- More information at www.cfs.sa.gov.au or 1300 362 361
Hamley Bridge
Lat/Long: -34.344247,138.6267978
A 56-year-old woman from Hamley Bridge died in the fires, which swept through the township of about 600 people.
The ABC understands the woman's body was found in a burned-out motor vehicle.
Resident Paul Vogue, who lost his house, said everything was gone in 20 seconds.
"It just came over and it just absolutely took everything out, just the whole lot," Mr Vogue said.
"Two houses here, the barn, cars, everything it just took it straight out, all in a matter of 20 seconds.
"It was just a horrendous fireball that you just wouldn't know what it was until you saw it ... it was devastating."
A Darwin man watched his wheat farm on the outskirts of Hamley Bridge "explode in a fireball" via CCTV cameras at the property and says his house survived the bushfire because he activated a sprinkler system with his mobile phone.
Charles Darwin University vice chancellor Professor Simon Maddocks says he found out about the fire from Country Fire Service (CFS) messages and friends.
"I have my farm technologically connected, I can look at CCTV cams on my phone, I have irrigation systems on remote control," Professor Maddocks, an agricultural scientist, said.
He said he watched as "all of a sudden everything went dark, then [there] was a red fireball ... everything just turned in a split second".
He said it took only "a matter of minutes" for the wheat crop to be engulfed.
Fortunately, the house escaped, something Professor Maddocks said was thanks to the remotely activated sprinkler systems and the vigilance of his neighbours.
Pinery
Lat/long: -34.2980569,138.4008706
The fire started at Pinery, between Mallala and Balaklava, about midday on Wednesday and travelled 50 kilometres in just four hours.
A 69-year-old Pinery man, Allan Tiller, was killed in the fires.
Friend Peter Harrald said Mr Tiller was a former Country Fire Service volunteer and died trying to fight the fire on a neighbour's property.
"All I know about it is that one of their workmen was rushed to hospital and Allan was continuing to fight the fire there and the wind changed tragically, and he got caught with the smoke and the fire and he's lost his life."
Mallala
Lat/long: -34.4449692,138.4330034
Mallala farmer Peter March said about a dozen farmhouses were destroyed, and most likely all the farm animals on those properties were killed.
"Our house here and house and sheds here have survived, but every square inch of ground I think has been burnt," he said.
"We've got neighbours who haven't got any houses and haven't got any stock - we've got neighbours who are a lot worse off than we are."
The size and speed of the fire were fearsome, residents said.
Mark Gardiner, who owns a home about one kilometre from the firefront, said the blaze was jumping hundreds of metres.
"It would be pretty hard to stop in this wind, it's jumping ahead probably 300 metres at a time."
Pinkerton Plains
Lat/long: -34.401965, 138.625361
In tiny Pinkerton Plains, the fire moved so quickly it caught people by surprise.
"The speed - I've never seen anything like it," Ashley Haydon said.
"It was about midday, dad walked out the front of our other property and we saw the smoke over near Mallala, so we just jumped on the back of the fire unit.
"We just followed CFS trucks around for most of the day, putting out stuff behind it.
"The bits we saw, when the wind picks up and then the fire's turned within 100 metres, you've put out a bit of fire behind the CFS truck, and then you've turned and it's all lit up again behind you."
Wasleys
Lat/long: -34.4882216,138.6578565
In the small town of Wasleys, the local bowls club, post office and one of the state's largest piggeries were gutted.
Locals on social media estimate that as many as 9,000 pigs may be dead.
Andrew, who works at the piggery, said he and his colleagues had no choice but to evacuate.
"It was pretty scary seeing it coming over the hill coming towards work," he said.
"We were there with firefighters ready to fight it and we just turned and ran.
"It was big. I think my work's gone or at least the majority of it."
One resident, Dave Walker, described how he saved his home.
"I eventually got through the back routes because the cops wouldn't let me through," he said.
"I got to my joint and the shed's ablaze, all the yard's ablaze. So I didn't know what to do. I didn't have any water to my house.
"A gentleman came past and helped me fix where it had burnt the water meter.
"We got that fixed and ended up getting some water to the back of my house. Some firies helped me with getting it so it doesn't get to the house."
Roseworthy
Lat/long: -34.5264156,138.7387637
Some properties were destroyed around Roseworthy, and University of Adelaide Professor Warren Bebbington said vets at its Roseworthy campus were treating many seriously injured animals.
"The equine hospital is at capacity but the vet clinic still has plenty of space," he said. "People need to know that if they have animals we can certainly look at them."
Freeling
Lat/long: -34.4525474,138.791438
Freeling resident Terry Curtis lost his garage and said his neighbours lost their home.
"They're pretty devastated they lost their whole house. I just spoke with them a while ago. He come down and was giving me a hand."
Mr Curtis said he fled first to Kapunda, then Eudunda and then Morgan to escape the flames.
ABC journalist Nathan Stitt drove through Freeling on Thursday morning: "On one side of the road there were homes - I should say sheds and structures - that were severely damaged and then on the other side of the road, homes and properties that were just fine."
Kapunda
Lat/long: -34.3253017,138.8442833
Brendan Moten, who owns a bakery in Kapunda, told AAP he fled his rural property and sheltered with his family in town as the bushfire raged around them.
"A lot of people were gathered in the main street and there was smoke and ash and it was Armageddon for a while," he told AAP.
"I feel lucky. Our place was under threat for a while ... It was heading our way but it didn't get there. It went around."
Light Regional Council Mayor Bill O'Brien said "the sky lit up and it was very frightening".
"I feel absolutely gutted, you know. I love this region. I just don't know where to start, what to do first," he said.
Tarlee
Lat/long: -34.2601473,138.7442139
Clare resident George Hooker saw a home burn down and had flames "lapping" at his car in a terrifying ordeal near Tarlee.
Mr Hooker recorded the fire's activity; when he reached Hamley Bridge, police officers had closed access.
"I just continued to travel towards Adelaide along the Horrocks Highway because there were no road blocks," he said.
"And before I knew it ... there was fire up the side of the road ... lapping up my car, gale force winds. There were cinders blowing up all over my car. I couldn't see in front of me from the thick smoke.
"It was pretty scary because just passing through those flames, I actually swore at myself and thought, what am I doing here? I shouldn't be here ... how did I get in this situation?
"And then ... I was quite frightened."
He said he chose to keep going and came across a home burning down.
"I pulled over ... and waited until the house burnt down basically and then the police came. As I got past, there were two cars that had had a head-on [collision]."
He said he was later pulled over by SES and CFS volunteers, who had a dog with them.
"They asked me to take the dog to the Roseworthy police station.
"The dog was one of the ones rescued from the house that just burnt down. I pulled into a service station [down the road] and it just so happened the owners were there.
"The lady was quite distraught ... and her husband was a big burly guy but he gave me a big hug. So I just left the dog with them and kept travelling to Adelaide."
Owen
Lat/long: -34.249631,138.4938306
The town of Owen is on the northern edge of the affected area, and Owen Road has been closed.
- Hamley Bridge resident describes near-death experience
- 'We had about one minute to grab things'
- As it happened: Victim identified as battle to control fires continues
- SA bushfires mapped: See what happened where
- 'What am I doing here?': Resident recalls terrifying SA fire experience
- 'It was a horrendous fireball': Locals describe how fires wiped out properties in seconds
Topics: fires, bushfire, hamley-bridge-5401, mallala-5502, wasleys-5400, roseworthy-5371, freeling-5372, tarlee-5411, owen-5460
First posted
