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Rain plea as Australia bushfire ‘contained’
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Firefighters yesterday searched burnt-out cars and homes after a devastating “Armageddon-like” blaze in Australia left two dead and 16 in hospital after raging across a 40-kilometer front.
Cooler conditions and lighter winds aided crews after a terrifying day on Wednesday, with the huge bushfire slowly being brought under control.
“Our preliminary estimate is we’ve probably got 60 percent of the fire contained,” said Country Fire Service chief officer Greg Nettleton, with the inferno burning through some 90,000 hectares of land, razing at least 16 homes.
“We are hopeful we will have the fire contained some time tomorrow.”
South Australia state Premier Jay Weatherill said two people died around the town of Pinery, some 70 kilometers north of Adelaide.
“The confirmed fatality number remains at two,” he said yesterday afternoon, adding that three people earlier listed as missing were safe.
He added that 16 people were in hospital, with five in either a critical or serious condition with significant burns.
South Australia Health tweeted that its medics had treated 35 people for serious burns, smoke inhalation and minor injuries.
“We know that one of those people has burns to more than 80 percent of their body,” Weatherill said.
“Their condition is being closely monitored. But we do hold grave concerns for them.”
The blaze — which preliminary investigations suggest was not deliberate — also incinerated outbuildings, farm machinery and vehicles as it sped across a stretched-out front, driven by strong, swirling winds late on Wednesday, he added.
Livestock was also lost with reports that thousands of chickens and pigs were killed.
Police Chief Inspector Alex Zimmermann said the fire had moved with frightening speed.
“We do have teams out there going through the burnt-out dwellings and cars on roads which have been incinerated,” he said. “There’s been complete destruction of some of these vehicles.”
Nettleton said it might still be early in the fire season but the land in South Australia was incredibly dry and only long, soaking rain would cut the fire risk.
“Until we get really substantial rainfall across the state, we’re in a dangerous fire situation for the summer,” he said.
Bushfires are common in Australia’s hotter months, with the latest fatalities taking to six the number killed since the annual season began.
Four people died last week in Western Australia, including tourists from Britain, Norway and Germany.
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