AUSSIES WORST FIRE SINCE ‘83

Adelaide, South Australia finally overcomes the biggest fire since the bushfires of Ash Wednesday in 1983.

The fire known as the ‘Sampson Flat’ fire started at around 10am on Friday the 2^nd January 2015, welcoming the New Year with terror for all of Adelaide’s citizens. The fire quickly spread burning approximately 30,888 acres of the Adelaide Hills.

Over 700 South Australian Country Fire Service volunteers fought the blaze, alongside with members from fire crews across the nearby areas and a record breaking 31 aircraft. The fire was finally put out completely on the 9^th of January, after eight days, thanks to the sudden appearance of the heaviest rainfall in Adelaide and South Australia in 30 years.

Ian Tanner from the South Australian County Fire Service, during the fire, said: “There is not a fire service anywhere in the world that could put out this fire at the moment.”

The fire ate through 32 homes and 125 outbuildings, tearing through people’s homes and destroying livestock. There were 134 injuries but amazingly there were no fatalities. Throughout the week long blaze campaigns were launched to save the wildlife which had been run from their homes because of the blaze, ‘How to feed a Koala’ and ‘How to save a baby Kangaroo’ were some of the main campaigns. The destruction has left most of the local wildlife without a home, and the continuing campaigns help them and the people who lost their homes.

Tanya Edwards, 48, who lives in Adelaide, South Australia, had to leave her home at one point because her “house is filling with smoke”, she was on the edge of the fire throughout the past week.

The fire, which was contained on Wednesday was finally put out by the rain on Friday, bringing relief to the entire community, and allowing the fire crews to return home.

Tanya Edwards, said: “As of Wednesday night the fires were contained and are now out.

“We have been blessed with some serious rain which has helped put an end to the fire.

“But the more amazing facts are the fact that no one died in the fire and the amazing community spirit that this disaster brought out.

“People went out of their way to help each other and pitch in to help. It was heart-warming to see the Aussie spirit shine so bright.”

During the disastrous fire which devastated most of the Adelaide area, fire crews were fighting the flames 24/7, and throughout that time many of Adelaide’s citizens were displaced, depending on the fire-fighters to protect their homes.

Tanya Edwards said: “The CFS [Country Fire Service] are volunteer fire fighters, they are unpaid. Some of them lost their own homes while they were out fighting for others. Volunteers came from NSW [New South Wales] and VIC [Victoria] to help fight our fires.

“I couldn’t sleep. Even though I was in my own bed, I couldn’t stop thinking of those that weren’t. Whether it was because they had lost their homes, were displaced or out their fighting the fires for us. A truly terrible and terrifying time for South Australia.”