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"Scenes of devastation": the most powerful images from the southern bushfire crisis.

 

– With AAP.

Over the past week, much of the country’s attention has been on NSW, as the land claimed by the state’s unprecedented bushfire crisis pushed toward 3 million hectares.

But to the south, its neighbours are in the grips of an emergency of their own.

On Saturday, a second person was confirmed dead after a day of devastating bushfires in South Australia led to 15 homes being destroyed along with significant losses to stock and crops.

Premier Steven Marshall said a person died in the Charleston area of the Adelaide Hills where the most significant fire continues to burn. It follows the death of a man in a road crash at Lameroo, which sparked a fire there.

Authorities have also confirmed that 23 firefighters and several police have suffered injuries, including one firefighter who remains in hospital in a serious condition.

“My fear is this is only the tip of the iceberg. We haven’t had a chance to get back in to assess the damage,” Premier Marshall said.

“We know that in addition to the buildings and vehicles lost there are very significant losses in terms of livestock, animals, crops, vineyards.

“It is going to be a real scene of devastation, especially for those people in the Adelaide Hills who have been most affected.”

In Victoria, a cool change swept across the state overnight bringing relief in temperatures but increased fire danger with dry lightning.

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On top of the 110 fires already burning on Friday, another 33 started after midnight and 27 of those remain out of control.

In NSW, six fires remain at emergency level with another three at ‘act and watch’ level, as a bad weather day on Saturday caused continued devastation.

Here are just some of the photos that have emerged from NSW, VIC and SA in the past couple of days.

 

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SA bushfires december
A burnt bicycle lies on the ground in front of a house recently destroyed by bushfires on the outskirts of the town of Bargo on December 21, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. Image: Getty.
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SA bushfires december
A burnt Christmas decoration lies on the ground in front of a house recently destroyed by bushfires on the outskirts of the town of Bargo on December 21, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. Image: Getty.
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SA bushfires december
A Fire and Rescue personal watches a bushfire as it burns near homes on the outskirts of the town of Bilpin on December 19, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. Image: Getty.
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... And there's more.

Mamamia Out Loud, our bi-weekly podcast, is coming to Melbourne for a live show, with 100 per cent of all ticket proceeds going to the Australian Red Cross disaster relief and recovery fund.

It's a brand new show, full of laughs and news and opinions and a few special surprises, with Mia Freedman, Holly Wainwright and Jessie Stephens, on February the 11th. You can buy tickets right now at mamamia.com.au/events. See you there! 


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