South Australian firefighters have gone to Victoria as several serious bushfires continue to cause widespread damage and loss of life across the border.
South Australian emergency personnel deployed over the weekend include around 110 members of the Country Fire Service made up of volunteer firefighters and incident management staff.
Locally, brigades from Aldgate, Cherry Gardens, Langhorne Creek, Littlehampton, Lobethal, Mount Barker, Mylor, Piccadilly, Strathalbyn and Yundi are among those represented in the deployment. Crews from Forreston, Gumeracha and Mount Pleasant are also contributing through the Upper Mount Lofty Ranges and Lower North groups.
The reinforcements come as Victoria continues to battle more than a dozen active bushfires, with authorities confirming a body was discovered in fire-affected bushland over the weekend. Premier Jacinta Allan has described the loss of life as devastating, as firefighters work to contain blazes that have already destroyed more than 300 structures and burned through over 350,000 hectares of land.
Several communities remain under emergency and take-shelter warnings, particularly in the state’s north-east and south-west, where fires at Walwa, Carlisle River and Longwood continue to threaten homes, farmland and wildlife. Thousands of firefighters are now involved in the response, with some major fires expected to burn for weeks.
South Australian crews are assisting across a range of roles including frontline firefighting, incident management, planning, logistics and safety, helping relieve pressure on local Victorian brigades stretched by the scale of the emergency.
The deployment includes personnel from the Country Fire Service, Metropolitan Fire Service, Department for Environment and Water, SA Ambulance Service, State Emergency Service and Fraser Fire and Rescue.
While crews assist in Victoria, authorities say South Australia remains prepared to respond locally if conditions deteriorate at home.
