Bushfires in Victoria and South Australia

Out-of-control bushfires in Victoria and South Australia

'Worst of conditions imaginable'

Radio NZ,

3 January, 2015

Firefighters in South Australia and Victoria are battling out-of-control bushfires, with warnings that this weekend's conditions are the worst since Ash Wednesday in 1983.

Dozens of homes are feared lost and lives are under threat as a massive fire burns uncontrolled on all fronts in the Adelaide Hills after an afternoon wind change, the ABC reported.

Meanwhile, new fires have broken out in Victoria, with an emergency warning called at Hastings.

In South Australia, a bushfire at Sampson Flat in the Southern Mount Lofty Ranges, north-east of Adelaide, has been burning freely towards towщnships.

South Australian Country Fire Service (CFS) chief officer Greg Nettleton estimated it had burnt close to 10,000 hectares and may not be brought under control until early next week.

"We've got a lot of work to do out there, first of all in controlling the fire and then cleaning up all the insecure edges," he said.

"It will be affected by south-westerly winds through tonight which means the fire will travel in a north-easterly direction.

"We'll be working very hard to try and get that fire secured before hot and windy conditions that are anticipated on Wednesday."

Nicola Gage @Nicola_Gage

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#bushfire continues to make ground at #Kersbrook in the #AdelaideHills @abcnews

5:20 PM - 3 Jan 2015

Around 500 firefighters supported by 100 appliances and 14 aircraft were battling the blaze, with more personnel and trucks to arrive from New South Wales.

At least five homes have been destroyed and dozens more threatened.

Mr Nettleton said six volunteers had received medical treatment, mostly for smoke inhalation.

CFS assistant chief officer Rob Sandford said firefighters were doing their best, "in what are the worst of conditions imaginable for firefighting ... We're thinking likely dozens of houses lost."

Police earlier declared the fire a major emergency, giving authorities the power to forcibly evacuate people or block them from entering the region.

Fire burns out of control north of Adelaide earlier on Saturday.

At least two relief centres have been set up in South Australia. Photo: AAP

Hundreds evacuated in South Australia

Earlier today, the CFS said the fire was travelling in a very erratic manner and burning freely in all directions towards Golden Grove, Upper Hermitage, Break Neck Hill, Kersbrook Township, One Tree Hill Township, Little Para Reservoir, Chain of Ponds and the Townships of Inglewood, Houghton, Cuddle Creek and Lower Heritage.

There was a risk to lives and homes and the CFS urged locals in the affected areas to enact their bushfire survival plans.

Some of the homes confirmed to have been destroyed were believed to be at Upper Heritage.

It was understood hundreds of people have been evacuated to the Golden Grove Recreation Centre and that another relief centre had been set up at Sandy Creek.

The CFS said a separate forest fire at Tantanoola in the state's south-east, which has burnt up to 700 hectares, has been slowed.

About 2000 firefighters have attended dozens of incidents across South Australia today, with some sparked by lightning strikes as storms moved across the state.

New emergency warning in Victoria

A cool change - with strong winds and lightning - is starting to move through Victoria, as firefighters tackle a large fire that threatened homes and communities in the state's west.

New fires are also breaking out ahead of a band of rain approaching Melbourne from the west.

An emergency warning has been issued for Hastings, Bittern and Crib Point, south-east of Melbourne.

A fast-moving out-of-control bushfire was travelling in a southerly direction but is now moving in an easterly direction as the weather change moves through the area.

The Country Fire Authority Victoria (CFA) said this could increase the danger of the situation.

The watch and act alert for a fire near the towns of Moyston, Rocky Point, Willaura North, Maroona, and Langi Logan, has been downgraded.

Firefighters have stopped the spread of the fire and rain has helped ease fire conditions.

The fire, one of more than 300 fires that have started over in the state over the past two days, has claimed one house and destroyed around 5000 hectares.

High temperatures continued to create dangerous conditions in other parts of Victoria, with Melbourne sitting on almost 38°C.

Ambulance Victoria said paramedics attended several calls for elderly people suffering heat-related illness, as well as one drowning and four calls for children locked in car.