Kangaroo Island burns: Two dead and thousands of stock perished

Two people and thousands of livestock – mostly sheep – have been killed in a bushfire ravaging South Australia’s Kangaroo Island.

SA’s agricultural and animal services is in the process of contacting property owners to verify stock losses. Picture: Hugh Watters

TWO people have died, thousands of sheep and cattle have been killed and a large number of homes and farms have been destroyed in an out-of-control bushfire burning on Kangaroo Island.

The South Australian eco-tourism hotspot has been ravaged by bushfires that started before Christmas and have burnt about a third of it, decimating tourism and farming operations.

Father and son Dick Lang, 78, an outback pilot, and Clayton Lang, 43, were killed when their car was engulfed in flames on Friday.

As of yesterday, the fire edge runs between the island’s south and north coasts and is actively burning in remote, inaccessible terrain in the Flinders Chase National Park. Forecasts of hot weather this week have placed authorities on high alert for more spot fires.

A South Australian Country Fire Service spokeswoman said the fire had burnt more than 156,000ha and has a perimeter of 300km.

Primary Industries and Reg­ions South Australia has estimated agricultural losses to be in their thousands, but it was proving difficult verifying livestock deaths.