Humanihut infrastructure aids emergency response crews as bushfire ravages Kangaroo Island, Australia

Fire authorities worked urgently to establish control lines around a massive bushfire on Kangaroo Island ahead of a forecast wind change.

Two warnings were in place: a Watch and Act alert for the island’s northwestern end, encompassing a large section of Flinders Chase National Park, and an Advice message for the remainder of the island, surrounding the primary warning zone.

The uncontrolled fire began near the intersection of Playford Highway and West End Highway, burning west and south toward the coast. Dramatic footage of several “fire tornados” emerging from the inferno circulated widely on social media.

An extreme fire danger rating was in effect, with authorities fearing the expected wind change could rapidly escalate fire activity. More than 10,000 hectares had already burned, primarily within the Ravine des Casoars Wilderness Protection Area, part of Flinders Chase National Park, which had been closed to the public.

CFS, DEW, MFS, and local Farm Fire Units were deployed across the fireground, with additional CFS crews and equipment en route to the island. Ground crews received support from water-bombing aircraft throughout the day. A relief centre was established at the Kingscote Football Club on Centenary Avenue.

Extensive road closures were implemented across the western end of Kangaroo Island. For real-time updates, residents were directed totraffic.sa.gov.au

Firefighters had begun desperate efforts to strengthen control lines around the scrub fire before the wind shift. Strategic backburning was carried out to create containment lines south of the fireground, in preparation for the worsening conditions.

The CFS urged island residents and visitors to seek refuge or remain in the island’s eastern regions, including towns such as American River and Penneshaw. Grave concerns surrounded the forecast, which included strong winds, high temperatures, and dry conditions.

An incident management team was dispatched to the island to coordinate firefighting operations.

Kangaroo Island Mayor Michael Pengilly said crews were "desperately" backburning in anticipation of the wind change. “There was forecast to be a fresh northerly in the morning that would swing to the west,” he said. “The goal was to stop the fire spreading through Flinders Chase and potentially reaching Vivonne Bay on the south coast. It’s Kangaroo Island, its summer, it’s Australia—we always get lightning here and we just have to deal with it,” he said.

Ninety-nine firefighters were on the ground, conducting backburning operations and creating earth breaks to contain the fire ahead of the anticipated wind shift. Mayor Pengilly warned tourists to avoid the western side of the island, where the Ravine fire was burning.

“This is peak holiday season,” he said. “We probably had around 10,000 people on the island, including residents, up from our usual 4,500. The national parks were closed and public safety was the priority. Visitors were being urged to head east.”

A CFS spokesperson confirmed that additional firefighting resources had been deployed to the island.

“The CFS was supported by SES personnel, who coordinated Humanihut accommodation and logistical support, alongside farm fire units and Department of Environment and Water teams,” she said.

The MFS also had crews stationed in Kingscote, and the CFS engaged mechanical support to ensure maximum capacity for fire trucks and appliances.

CFS State Duty Commander Brett Loughlin asked accommodation providers and Airbnb hosts to alert guests to the bushfire threat before they travelled to the island.

“For anyone heading to or moving around the island, we urged them to have a bushfire survival plan,” he said.
“If you're unfamiliar with the area, plan ahead. We asked the Kangaroo Island community—and holidaymakers in particular—to stay informed, alert, and vigilant in light of the conditions.”

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