‘As loud as ever’: Almost 40 scrub fires started within an hour after lightning strikes terrorise southeast

Scrub fires have rapidly spread across the state’s southeast after a severe dry thunderstorm saw lightning strikes hitting the ground, as CFS were called to almost 40 incidents.

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Almost 40 scrub fires have been started by lightning strikes in the state’s southeast, with CFS volunteers responding quickly as they all erupted around the same time.

Dry lightning strikes started hitting the ground just before 6pm on Monday, and spread across most of the southeast, with the number of scrub fires rapidly growing over the course of 30 minutes to an hour.

Lightning strikes were recorded near Yahl on the outskirts of Mount Gambier, along the South Australia and Victoria border, Penola, Millicent, Mount Burr, Kalangadoo, Lucindale, Greenways and further across to Kingston S.E.

Dozens of fires have started in the states south east after lighting storms hit the area. Picture: CFS.

Dozens of fires have started in the states south east after lighting storms hit the area. Picture: My Lightning Tracker

Farmer, Evan Flint lives seven kilometres north of Kingston S.E., and told The Advertiser that he had never seen anything like it before, as “mother nature put on a good show for us”.

“We got caught with the dry lightning strikes, and there was just a little bit of rain with it … well, you wouldn’t even call it rain, but it was enough moisture that it slowed it up ,” he said.

“Then the CFS turned up and they did a good job, but then they left me to it once they got mine under control because they had another big one going about three kilometres further on from me.

“The amount of lightning that was hitting the ground, that was probably as much as I’ve seen and I have been around a fair while now.”

Mr Flint said the thunder “was as loud as ever”, and that he and his family were “fortunate” as none of their stock or property was damaged, only their paddocks burned.

Following the lightning strikes, the Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe thunderstorm warning for damaging winds, large hailstones and heavy rainfall in the Lower South East.

“A moist and unstable atmosphere has produced thunderstorms in parts of SA this afternoon and evening,” the BOM said.

“Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce damaging winds, large hailstones and heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding in the warning area over the next several hours.

Locations which may be affected include Mount Gambier, Naracoorte, Millicent and Lucindale.”

Originally published as ‘As loud as ever’: Almost 40 scrub fires started within an hour after lightning strikes terrorise southeast