CANBERRA, Dec 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) – One more person died and many houses destroyed in bush-fires in South Australia (SA).
About 200 fires broke out across the state in catastrophic conditions on Friday, as temperatures soared to 40 degrees Celsius.
Authorities on Friday night confirmed that another person died in a car crash, related to the fires, and that seven police officers and firefighters were being treated for burns and smoke inhalation.
Police said, the person, who has not yet been identified, died when his car hit a tree near one of the fires.
Steven Marshall, the Premier of SA, described the death as a “tragedy.”
The Country Fire Service (CFS), warned of catastrophic bush-fire conditions in six regions in SA, on account of record-breaking heat and strong winds.
Mark Jones, chief officer of the CFS, said Friday night that, more than 1,200 firefighters — the vast majority of them volunteers — were deployed to combat the blazes.
“Crews have been working for a long time already, so exhaustion will become an issue. When nature throws its worst, the firefighters, volunteers and emergency responders of this state do their best.”
As of this morning, only one emergency warning remained in place, for a fire on Kangaroo Island, which was sparked by lighting, when a cool change swept through the state in the late afternoon.– NNN-AGENCIES