I just got off the phone to a friend in Adelaide and he was telling me about a fire. Not sure if this is the same one. He mentioned a piggery and chookery (word ?) that had been destroyed. That would have been awful for the animals.

 

Gerry, the piggery workers stayed behind with firies to try and save everything, but when the fire came over the hill , they knew they woudn't stand a chance and all had to evacuate.

Everything including the pigs were destroyed in the fire.  I can't imagine what those pigs suffered.

One woman took her kids and dogs in the car and headed to the hospital as she had been trampled when she let their horses out.  At least one has been airlifted to hospital with serious burns.

The Police station at Elizabeth has become a day care centre as they had to evacuate all of them from the centre.  News is that all children are safe and parents can pick them up at the Police Station.

Drinking water is in short supply (no electricity) and some storage tanks have been damaged, water is being shipped by tanker from Adelaide.

The news re the fires is heartbreaking.

How sad is the news of lives lost - humans and animals.

Prayers for our South Australian friends.

Take care, and if in trouble get out early, rather than stay, please.

Hi Phyl,  Nice to see you here.

Thanks to Vic firies as well we may be able to get the fire under control, but the winds have been their worst enemy.  50 kph upwards.

Like Geo said it's lucky there were not more lives lost although there are 30 injured in hospital, so may be more deaths yet.  One woman has 80% burns and pretty hard to survive with that.  One can only hope she has the will to keep going.

We can smell the smoke here but we are not in any danger ourselves even though it's only about three quarters of an hours drive away.

Farmers have lost all their crops as they were due to start harvesting this week.  So they will do it very tough over the next year and yes, it's the loss of all the animals that is heartbreaking as those that are still alive will probably be burnt and will need to be killed anyway.

Houses, cars barns can be replaced but it's the animals that really take the brunt of it.

 

This would have been frightening.  The wind changed and it came right at them.

Fire is a terrible thing, wonderful servant but a shocking master..... I do hope they have it under control by now... How did it start Sandi....

I hate the smell after a bush fire .. the smell of the all the birds and animals is heartbreaking.

After the last bushfire we had 3 Kookas came with all their feathers burnt barely could fly, I looked after them until they recovered ... it is now 3 years and they still come, visit and nible bits out of my hand.... more freeloaders :)

Deanna they are not sure but said they didn't think it was suspicious.

Hopefully they have it contained at the moment, but still plenty on  fire in the area that could start it up again.  Burning hay stacks pose the biggest problem, espeaially if the wind starts up.  My guess is that they will be monitoring it for days yet.

All roads I think are now open and people returning to see what damage to crops and animals.  For some there will be the heartbreaking job of having to kill animals that are maimed.

We just have to be grateful that the loss of life was limited because it could have been much worse as the fire took hold ferociously, fanned by the high winds which left no time for some to get away.

Thanks Sandi, definitely heartbreaking times for some of them... my heart goes out to those effected...

 

Fire losses detailed so far

87 houses completely destroyed or significantly damaged

384 farm sheds lost

89 pieces of farm machinery destroyed

98 vehicles lost

2 Dead, 90 treated in hospital with 5 still in critical condition.

That is a horrendous list Sandy and it wouldn't surprise me if the insurance bill was getting up that way Abby.....