Eyre Peninsula bushfire
| Eyre Peninsula Fire | |
|---|---|
Satellite photo taken on 11 January 2005
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| Location | Lower Eyre Peninsula, South Australia, Australia |
| Coordinates | 34°26′55″S 135°52′35″E / 34.448657°S 135.876409°ECoordinates: 34°26′55″S 135°52′35″E / 34.448657°S 135.876409°E |
| Statistics | |
| Cost | $28 million AUD (2005) |
| Date(s) | January 10, 2005 – January 20, 2005 |
| Burned area | 820 square kilometres (202,626 acres) |
| Buildings destroyed |
79 |
| Injuries |
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| Fatalities |
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| Map | |
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Eyre Peninsula bushfire was a bushfire which occurred during January 2005 on the lower part of the Eyre Peninsula in the Australian state of South Australia with the result of 820 square kilometres (320 sq mi) of land being burnt, the loss of nine lives and injury to another 110 persons. It was one of Australia’s worst bushfires since the Ash Wednesday fires of 1983.
The bushfire began in farmland north of the town of Wangary and spread to the east. Investigation confirmed that the cause was a faulty muffler on a vehicle parked in grass on a roadside by a man checking the suitability of an area for prospecting with a metal detector. investigations confirmed that it was not arson. It burnt more than 820 square kilometres (320 sq mi) of farm and scrubland in and around the small townships of Wangary, Wanilla, North Shields, Poonindie, Louth Bay, Greenpatch, and Yallunda Flat to the north of the city of Port Lincoln.
More than $100 million los included 79 houses completely destroyed, 26 houses suffering extensive damage, 139 vehicles destroyed, 324 sheds destroyed or severely damaged, 138 farm implements destroyed, 6.300 km of fencing destroyed, 46,500 head of stock killed, one aircraft ($100,000) destroyed, tools and equipment of 46 small businesses/contractors lost. This does not include the human impact of loss, injury and dislocation, or the loss of possessions, clothing, even school books before the new school year about to resume.
1,290 people suffered loss of property because of the fire.
The bushfire was later called the "Black Tuesday" fires as it resulted in much damage to property and even more damage to locals' lives. The fire began on 10 January, and was initially contained by emergency services. However, severe weather conditions on 11 January, with wind speeds of 70 km/h and temperatures exceeding 40 degrees, then caused the fire to break through containment lines and spread to the east.
More than 400 South Australian Country Fire Service (CFS) fire fighters and 80 fire appliances combated the bushfire, with assistance from local property owners. The Port Lincoln Airport was temporarily closed, preventing additional fire fighters from being flown in from Adelaide. A major emergency was declared for the Eyre Peninsula from noon on 12 January until 16 January.
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Wikipedia