Bushfires: Kangaroo Islanders feared blaze would jump containment lines

Firefighters feared the deadly Kangaroo Island fires could jump containment lines during a visit by Scott Morrison on Wednesday.

Watched by ADF personnel, Scott Morrison surveys a map of Kangaroo Island during a visit on Wednesday. Picture: AAP

Firefighters feared the deadly Kangaroo Island fires could jump containment lines as Scott Morrison arrived on Wednesday to hear farmers’ stories of blackened skies and advancing flames.

“I can tell you, you’re going to rebuild, you’re going to rebuild here in South Australia; they’re going to rebuild in NSW and Victoria and in all the other places that are affected,” the Prime Minister said.

“And the platform we’re going to build it on is you because you built it in the first place and you’ll build it again.”

Mr Morrison spoke to locals on the South Australian island after the fires killed father and son Dick and Clayton Lang on Friday. Locals observed a minute of silence on Saturday for the men. Dick Lang was a pioneering bush pilot and Clayton Lang a surgeon who trained other doctors.

The island fires have since burnt through 162,000ha, destroyed luxury tourist accommodation and 56 homes and killed an enormous number of native and farm animals.

The SA Country Fire Service was concerned the blaze would jump containment lines on Thursday when hot and windy weather was predicted.

Simon Kelly, 53, watched from his kitchen window as the shearing shed his grandfather built after World War II burnt to the ground.

Mr Kelly’s 79-year-old mother, Janice, told Mr Morrison to deploy financial advisers to help bushfire-affected communities with paperwork as they attempt to rebuild.

As Mr Morrison listened to Ms Kelly, SA Police urged residents of Vivonne Bay on the south coast of the island to evacuate as a precaution.

“This is still a large fire, which is not controlled,” chief officer Mark Jones said.

After visiting the Kelly family’s property, Mr Morrison indicated mental health assistance and help with burying dead livestock were two priorities for the relief effort.

He said Health Minister Greg Hunt was working on a mental health package for bushfire-affected communities.

Salvation Army volunteers — including two Belgian tourists visiting SA who wanted to pitch in — were among dozens of volunteers helping Australian Defence Force reservists on the island.

Close to 200 firefighters have been backburning. They include paid and volunteer firefighters from the SA mainland and farmers using their own firefighting equipment.

During his visit, Mr Morrison announced tax-free payments of up to $10,000 for small businesses affected by the fires as immediate assistance and payments of up to $15,000 for farmers, graziers and primary producers to provide some immediate relief and assistance.

“It’s very important as part of the recovery that we rebuild the local economies as much as we rebuild the local infrastructure,” Mr Morrison said.

“That means supporting communities and getting in behind them to do just that.”