Big Rocking Horse owners fight ‘very big’ grass fire at Birdwood overnight

A fire started by a fallen powerline and intensified by dry conditions came terrifyingly close to an Adelaide Hills landmark overnight.

The owners of the Big Rocking Horse responded to a fire at Birdwood on Wednesday morning. Picture: Facebook

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The owner of a prominent Adelaide Hills tourist attraction was one of the first responders to a grass fire on Torrens Valley Rd at Birdwood overnight, describing the blaze as “scary”.

Mell Penno and her husband own the Big Rocking Horse in Gumeracha, and are also volunteer farm unit firefighters, with their ute decked out as a makeshift fire engine.

Ms Penno said she was awake at 2am when the blaze started, and was first alerted when her dogs started barking.

“We live sort of five minutes from the Rocking Horse, so we saw the glow over the hill when we looked outside,” she said.

The owners of the Big Rocking Horse responded to a fire at Birdwood on Wednesday morning. Picture: Facebook

It was started by a fallen powerline. Picture: Facebook

The fire, which Ms Penno described as “very big”, started when a powerline fell, and came within three kilometres of the Rocking Horse.

“It really just happened because it’s so dry,” Ms Penno said.

“It just really ignited.”

Mell Penno, co-owner of the Big Rocking Horse in Gumeracha. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

The owners of the Big Rocking Horse responded to a fire at Birdwood on Wednesday morning. Picture: Facebook

The fire broke out early on Wednesday morning. Picture: Facebook

Ms Penno said there was lots of crackling and smoke.

“The roar of the fire when it creates its own whirlywinds (sic), it’s spectacular, but scary of course.”

“Everyone’s biggest worry is ‘this can’t get out of control, no matter what’, so even though there was hardly any wind last night, it just takes that fire to create its own wind where it can sort of take off.”

Ms Penno praised the CFS and farm unit volunteers who fought the fire, many of whom stayed at the scene all night.

“I’ve got an employee here today that fought the fire all night as part of the Birdwood Brigade, and she’s at work today as well,” she said.

Originally published as Big Rocking Horse owners fight ‘very big’ grass fire at Birdwood overnight