Port Lincoln bushfire: Residents caught up in Duck Ponds blaze recall battle to protect properties
Residents caught up in Monday’s bushfire near Port Lincoln have spoken of the battle to protect their properties as the blaze bore down on them. Sadly, two homes were lost.
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The repeat of a raging Port Lincoln fire that wreaked havoc on the Eyre Peninsula a decade ago has been avoided, but not before the destruction of two houses, sheds and cars, which has left two people recovering from injuries.
Devastated families are counting the cost of the latest fire to hit their region, including one man whose home was gutted while he babysat grandchildren in town.
Fire Cause investigators are examining the origin of the blaze, which started at Duck Ponds about 6km northeast of Port Lincoln, and are yet to rule out arson.
CFS operations officer Tristan Baldock said the threat showed a “similar footprint” to the 2009 Christmas fires that destroyed 13 houses, injured five people and burned 650ha of land.
He said Monday’s inferno – which burned through 280ha – also marked the seven-year anniversary of the Sleaford fires that caused widespread damage.
“If we go back to 2009, this fire is a very similar footprint over the town and those first three to six hours of such a firefight are very intense,” he said.
“At the peak of the incident we had 24 appliances, eight aircraft and about 100 firefighters.
“The efforts of the initial (responders) can’t be underestimated … All those actions came together to have a positive outcome to what could have been.”
Strong winds up to 70km/h forced flames to jump quickly on Monday afternoon, catching residents off guard.
Some houses just escaped destruction, the flames coming to within metres of homes.
“I saw smoke pouring this way, then the fire came within inches,” said former Navy clearance diver Tom McNab.
“They were pretty big flames and it was hot, there was nothing I could do but take pictures.”
When a bushfire threatened his property in 2009, Mr McNab, 70, said he fled to safety, but couldn’t bear to do the same this time.
“We had a fire 10 years ago so I’m getting used to it,” he said.
“I left last time and I shouldn’t have, I could’ve saved more, but I did pretty well this time.”
The blaze blitzed past Mr McNab’s house and engulfed a neighbour’s property, ripping through the brick home and burning precious belongings before the roof collapsed.
The owner had managed to save the home from fire in 2009.
Duck Ponds resident Steve Dodd, 65, said he was defending his property with a hose and sprinklers when a 10 metre-high palm tree “just lit up like a firecracker”.
“The palm tree went up (in flames) behind me out of nowhere,” he said.
“I was standing underneath it with the hose because I thought that was going to carry to the house.
An unoccupied house used to store cray pots on Concorde Rd was also destroyed before cars, machinery, track lights and sheds at Port Lincoln Sporting Car Club were hit.
CFS incident commander Kym Eagle said easing winds and a significant temperature drop helped halt the blaze on Monday night.
Father and son firefighters David and Davin Bryant said it was one of many blazes the pair has battled side-by-side.
“It was a hot and fast fire, cnce it got started it moved really fast,” David, 68, said.
Davin, 42, said: “The amount of houses that I saw with good clearing probably saved them”.
Fire crews will continue to monitor the area over coming days.