Total fire ban in SA on Wednesday in most districts as police hunt firebugs

TOTAL fire bans have been declared in all South Australian districts except for two for Wednesday, as police hunt for suspected firebugs after suspicious blazes in Hills.

Country Fire Service crews extinguished two deliberately lit fires.

TOTAL fire bans have been declared in all South Australian districts except for metropolitan Adelaide and the North East Pastoral district on Wednesday as temperatures soar into the high 30s.

The Eastern Eyre Peninsula and Mounty Lofty Ranges share a fire danger rating of “extreme.”

The North West Pastoral district, West Coast, Lower Eyre Peninsula, Flinders Ranges, Mid North, Yorke Peninsula, Kangaroo Island, Riverland, Murraylands and upper and lower South East are all listed as “severe”.

It comes as police hunt suspected firebugs in the Adelaide Hills after two deliberately lit fires on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Emergency services were called to Gorge Rd, Paracombe, after reports of a grass fire about 11.20pm on Sunday.

Country Fire Service crews quickly extinguished the fire which burnt about one hectare of grass.

There were no injuries but the fire is believed to have been deliberately lit.

About 12 hours later, at 11.15am on Boxing Day, this morning, emergency services rushed to Ironstone Rd, Forreston, after smoke was spotted coming from a forest.

An aerial bomber and CFS extinguished the small fire which burnt less than half a hectare of grass.

The cause of the fire is being treated as suspicious.

Crime Scene Investigators have examined the scene of both fires and police investigations are continuing.

CFS crews also fought a house fire in Bridgewater, in the Adelaide Hills, which gutted a two-storey home, causing $300,000 damage. No one was injured.

On January 2, 2015, the Sampson Flat bushfire spread across the Hills, including Paracombe, and destroyed 38 homes.

Anyone with information is urged to call police immediately on 131 444 with as much information as possible, particularly registration numbers of cars.