Two people have died in the tragic fires sweeping farms and homes in the Mid North of South Australia on Wednesday, which left a trail of destruction, burning through almost 90 thousand hectares of land.
A 69-year-old man was found in a paddock at Pinery and a 56-year-old woman was found in a car near Hamley Bridge, and there are fears a third person is dead, reports The Advertiser.
Two fire fighters have been seriously injured – with one suffering third-degree burns – and 13 people have reportedly been hospitalised.
At least 16 homes have been destroyed, too, with the perimeter of the fire spanning more than 200 kms. The towns affected – such as Mallala, Freeling and Hamley Bridge – are about 60 kms north of Adelaide.
For many, their homes stood on the land they built and ran their businesses, with many families losing precious farming land. Millions of dollars in machinery and crops have been destroyed in the blaze.
“This has been a devastating few hours for large parts of the state and unfortunately there is some time to go until we have fire fronts under control,” said SA Premier Jay Weatherill, who confirmed the deaths at a press conference on Wednesday night.
“Our thoughts turn to those people affected and those volunteers working through the night to protect us.”
Fortunately conditions have eased on Thursday, but there are still over 300 fire fighters on the ground attempting to contain the blaze.
