Unprecedented devastation in SA
 

January 2020

The number of homes destroyed in the Cudlee Creek bushfire in the Adelaide Hills has shot up to 72, according to the ABC network..
South Australian Premier Steven Marshall has also confirmed that 404 "outbuildings" on properties and 227 vehicles have been destroyed.
At lease one house has been destroyed by fires on Kangaroo Island.
Charleston man Ron Selth, 69, was found dead at his property on Saturday and several dozen people remain injured, but there have been no further injuries or loss of life.
"Ron was a loving, optimistic and generous man, who valued his relationships with family and friends more than anything else," his family said in a statement.
The fires broke out during catastrophic conditions on Friday.
Mr Marshall said it was a "very sad day" with "scenes of absolute devastation" as families returned to their homes to find only rubble.
Mr Marshall said a crash at Lameroo, in the Murraylands, was the cause of a bushfire in the area. A 24-year-old Queensland man died at the scene.
 

Huge crop losses
 

Primary Industries and Regions South Australia deputy chief executive Mehdi Doroudi said wine grape growers in the Hills had been most affected by the fire, followed by apple and pear growers.
He said it was too early to tell how significant livestock losses would be in the Adelaide Hills and on Kangaroo Island.
"Some areas have been more impacted than others," he said.
"There could be some property owners that have lost everything; there could be some property owners that have only been impacted partially."
Tilbrook Estate Wines was destroyed in the fire.
The few individual bottles and cases that survived were auctioned off to help the owners, the Tilbrook family recover, raising $12,000.
Co-owner Annabelle Tilbrook's colleagues at Novita stunned the crowd with a bid of $5,000 for one case before immediately donating it back for an upcoming online auction.
The Bureau of Meteorology said nine South Australian locations experienced their hottest day on record yesterday, including 48.1 degrees Celsius in Murray Bridge and 47.7C in Naracoorte.
Renmark hit 49C on Friday 20 December, its highest ever. While Riverland growers are still counting the losses from last month’s hailstorm, the unprecedented hot wheather has given the local growers the final blow. Most crops would have cooked on the trees and vines.

Greek Tribune