Bushfire still burning at Tulka in SA
Bushfire still burning at Tulka in SA
13 November 2012
published by www.skynews.com.au
Australia–– A bushfire continues to burn near Tulka on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula, but the threat to lives and property has subsided.
The blaze, one of 65 across South Australia since Saturday, has destroyed 1850 hectares of scrub along with 12 cabins, a caravan and a campervan at a local caravan park.
One home, several sheds, four cars and large amounts of fencing and irrigation pipes have also been lost.
There are no reports of injuries to local residents or fire crews.
Initial reports said seven homes and 12 sheds had been destroyed, but the CFS revised the damage toll after sending in an assessment team.
That team is also working to determine the cause of the blaze.
On Monday afternoon the fire was still burning out of control but was within containment lines.
CFS state co-ordinator Malim Watts said while it remained a concern, the blaze was not expected to breach the backburns in place.
More than 100 firefighters have been deployed to the Tulka fire, and Mr Watts said it would be several days before it was considered safe.
‘We do have free running fire burning in native vegetation even though it’s got a control line established around it,’ he said.
Milder conditions in the area, after temperatures soared into the high 30s on Sunday, were helping the firefighting efforts.
In 2001 a fire caused major damage to the Tulka township, destroying 11 homes and damaging 10 others as it burnt through 14,000 hectares over several days.
Other fires causing concern for the CFS included one at Bramfield, on the western Eyre Peninsula, which has destroyed 850 hectares of grassland, and others at Yalata, on the state’s west coast, at Vanessa, in the northeast, at Humbug Scrub in the Adelaide Hills and near Quorn in the southern Flinders Ranges.
None posed an immediate threat to people or property and most were thought to have been started by lightning, although the Humbug Scrub fire was the result of a burn-off getting out of control.
Mr Watts said the number and intensity of the fires over the past few days had given the CFS one of its busiest periods for many years and a sudden start to the fire season.
‘It’s a very quick wake-up call for a lot of people,’ he said.
‘Summer has come with a vengeance.’