They were working on the Coles Fire northwest of Coonawarra
Continue readingReport released for the bushfire that burned much of Kangaroo Island in South Australia
The findings included insufficient numbers of firefighting resources, and working against the chain of command
Continue readingBushfire has burned almost half of Kangaroo Island
Two Country Fire Service trucks were involved in burn-overs
Continue readingAnother area of Kangaroo Island evacuated prior to high bushfire danger
Fire has had major impacts on Kangaroo Island’s wildlife, killing thousands of koalas
Continue readingTwo found dead in Kangaroo Island Fire in South Australia
More air tankers from North America will be be sent to Australia
Continue readingBushfire burns large portion of Kangaroo Island south of Adelaide Australia
Officials say the only safe areas on the island are the Kingscote and Penneshaw communities
Continue readingSaturday in New South Wales to be “tough day” for firefighters
From the Australian Broadcasting Corporation:
“Today is going to be a tough day,” New South Wales Rural Fire Service Deputy Commissioner Rob Rogers said Saturday morning.
He said temperatures are expected to soar above 40C, humidity is predicted to drop below 10 per cent and there will be average winds of 30 to 40 kilometers, with gusts of up to 75 kilometers per hour.
“That’s obviously going to be very dangerous in areas where we have active fires.”
He said there are already “significant fires burning” in the Shoalhaven, Illawarra and Southern Ranges areas where the catastrophic fire ratings were issued.
“We can’t guarantee that every time someone wants a fire truck, we can’t get one there. Don’t expect a plane to be overhead straight away and don’t expect a helicopter. Don’t wait for a warning. Think about what you are going to do if you are in the path of the fires.”
The RFS said conditions will deteriorate around lunch time and if anyone is planning on leaving or moving around, they should do so before midday.
Bicycle with electric motor starts fire in Australia
Until today I have never heard of a bicycle igniting a vegetation fire. You would think that a road bike being used on a highway would be one of the modes of transportation least likely to start a wildfire.
It turns out, if that bike is modified with an after market wheel hub using a battery-powered electric motor all bets are off.
On Monday 79-year old Gary Ryan was riding his Pinarello Dogma F8 retrofitted with an electric hub motor when the device caught fire on Corkscrew Road in the Adelaide Hills of South Australia (map). (The device may have been similar to this one.) After receiving a slight burn on his leg he got off the bike and watched as flames reported to be 10-feet high shot out of the battery. The fire partially melted the bike’s frame and spread into the vegetation along the highway. Mr. Ryan and other riders backed away as CO² cartridges exploded that he carried on the bike for inflating tires.
Firefighters that happened to be working on a fire nearby responded quickly and knocked the blaze down after it spread for about 100-feet.
Residents and emergency crews in Australia have been on edge for the last four days as they deal with record heat approaching 50C (122F) in some areas.
As more devices used out of doors are battery-powered we are going to be increasingly hearing about fires like this. Wildfire Today has already written about two vegetation fires that were started by drones.
Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Paula.
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Close call for two engine crews in South Australia
Fire engines were overrun by fire.
Continue readingTwo killed in South Australia bushfire
From 9News:
“At least two people are dead and 13 people remain in hospital, five of them in serious or critical conditions, after yesterday’s devastating Pinery bushfire in South Australia.
South Australian premier Jay Weatherill confirmed “grave fears” were held for more people, with the full cost of the blaze still to unfold.
Watch the TODAY Show [for live stream occasional coverage of] the latest fire updates.
“We can’t be sure we have identified every single person in the fireground,” Mr Weatherill told a press conference this morning.
A 56-year-old woman was killed in a car in Hamley Bridge, while the body of 69-year-old man was found in a paddock in Pinery. Their families have been notified. Thirteen people remain in hospital, five of those of whom are in serious or critical conditions. One of those has burns to around 80 percent of their body. At least two of those injured
At least 16 homes have been destroyed.”