CAP for: Bushfire Emergency Warning : SAMPSON FLAT

Bushfire claims already pass $13 million Jan 7, 2015 Insurance losses from a bushfire burning on the outskirts of Adelaide have already passed $13 million, with more claims expected to be lodged over the coming days and weeks. The fire, which began at Sampson Flat on Friday, has burnt through 12,500 hectares and destroyed or badly damaged 38 homes, as well as 125 other structures such as farm sheds and outhouses. Four businesses have also been destroyed or badly damaged. The town of Kersbrook in the Adelaide Hills was the worst hit after 12 homes were razed by the fire. SEE ALSO: INSIDE THE ADELAIDE HILLS FIRE The Insurance Council of Australia on Wednesday said that 350 claims had already been lodged, with insured losses of $13 million. ICA chief Rob Whelan said the bushfire situation in South Australia remained uncertain with emergency services preparing for deteriorating weather conditions. "More properties may be potentially vulnerable at this time, and it is critical for residents in bushfire-affected areas to ensure they follow the advice of emergency services," Mr Whelan said. The ICA was liaising with the state government, emergency services and local governments to provide support and help resolve issues. People affected by the bushfires have been advised by the ICA to take a number of steps to help with their claims, including taking pictures of damage to property and possessions as evidence for assessors. An inventory of damaged possessions should be compiled to help insurers process claims. The ICA said policy holders should not be concerned if insurance documents are not readily at hand as insurance companies keep records electronically and require only the policy holders' name and address to find a policy. But the council also advises that people should speak to their insurer before authorising repairs. Emergency repairs should only be undertaken in the first instance to make the property safe. The ICA said primary producers with livestock injured in the fires should urgently contact their insurer to notify them that livestock will need to be destroyed. - See more at: http://www.fiveaa.com.au/news/bushfire-claims-already-pass-13-million-dollars#sthash.4JG6Pm0h.dpuf =============================================== More than 12,000 hectares ravaged by bushfire since Friday. By Karlis Salna Authorities battling a blaze that has destroyed or severely damaged up to 38 homes on Adelaide's fringe say they are confident the threat from the massive fire is waning. The homes and 125 other buildings such as farm sheds have been destroyed or badly damaged by the fire, which has ravaged more than 12,000 hectares since Friday. The town of Kersbrook in the Adelaide Hills was the worst hit after 12 homes were razed by the fire, which on Tuesday night continued to burn across a 240km perimeter. Premier Jay Weatherill, at a briefing on Tuesday afternoon, said there had been 134 "episodes of treatment" attended to by the SA Ambulance Service, but mostly for minor problems. Of the 23 people hospitalised, 21 have been discharged. One man is in a serious condition after he was struck by a falling tree. Country Fire Service chief Greg Nettleton said more favourable conditions on Monday night and on Tuesday had allowed firefighters to make significant progress in securing the perimeter, as well as "islands" within the fireground that had escaped the fire's initial assault. "At this stage I'm feeling more and more confident that as the weather comes in tomorrow, based on some briefings I've had from the bureau, with the resources at hand at the moment ... I'm increasingly confident that tomorrow is posing a lesser threat than it was yesterday," Mr Nettleton said. "We still have to secure that outer perimeter before we can claim total victory." While the 38C heat on Tuesday was expected to resume on Wednesday, increased humidity and the chance of rain could work in the fire crews' favour. The Bureau of Meteorology says a strong intrusion of tropical air from the Pilbara, combined with a Southern Ocean disturbance, could provide up to 200mm in the northwest of the state and smaller falls near the capital over Thursday, Friday and into the weekend. The bureau's South Australian regional director, John Nairn, said winds would turn more northerly on Wednesday and would freshen, with a fairly high likelihood of thunderstorms. "They can produce erratic, gusty wind conditions," he told AAP. "If the thunderstorms come close to the fireground, that may give them some grief occasionally but overall the rising humidity is a good story and they may indeed get some light rain from those thunderstorms." But the storms are expected to turn into a rain band, bringing falls that should increase steadily later in the day. - See more at: http://www.fiveaa.com.au/news/twenty-six-homes-lost-in-sa-fires#sthash.9UAAAXpt.dpuf ============== Sampson Flat Fire Information The CFS advises that the Sampson Flat bushfire continues to burn out of control on all flanks. Strengthening winds are swinging from north to north westerly and will gradually turn westerly prior to trending south westerly later this afternoon. Wind speeds are predicted to be 40-45 KPH, with gusts to 70 KPH. Thunderstorms may produce gusts in excess of 90 KPH. These changing winds will cause the fire to continue to burn out of control in a South/South Easterly direction initially and later to burn, potentially, East to North Eastwards. Due to the uncertain nature and impact of the fire behaviour it is imperative that people within these vicinities take appropriate action now. The CFS urges anyone within the Mount Pleasant, Kersbrook, Gumeracha, Mount Torrens, Woodside, Lobethal, Inglewood, Upper Hermitage, Breakneck Hill, One Tree Hill township, Little Para Reservoir, Chain of Ponds, Houghton, Cudlee Creek, Lower Hermitage, Charleston, Birdwood, Lenswood, and Williamstown to LEAVE THE AREA NOW, AS THERE IS A HEIGHTENED RISK TO LIVES AND HOMES. The CFS advises that Relief Centres have been opened at Golden Grove Recreation Centre (The Golden Way, Golden Grove) and at Sandy Creek (Curdatta Cricket Club, corner of Williamstown Road and Davies Road Sandy Creek). Depending where you are in relation to the various firefronts, remember to relocate safely and be cautious on the roads. Determine the safest route out of your area if you haven't done so already, and be aware that roads may be closed, but that does not stop you leaving the area – road closures are to stop people entering the fire danger area. Check for road closures, safe routes, and safe precincts by going to the CFS website, www.cfs.sa.gov.au, or by tuning in to the ABC, 5AA and local radio, or by checking the CFS FireApp and/or the CFS Facebook page for further information. Affected residents or others can also call the Bushfire Information Hotline on 1300 362 361 . Remember, it is critical for people to stay informed of the changing conditions throughout the day. Also be aware that significant smoke and fallen trees could make safe travel difficult and residents should be well aware of their safest exit route. Do not drive into smoke. --------------------------------------- RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a format for publishing frequently updated news and other content on the internet. RSS feeds provide free updates to your computer at designated intervals when content is updated on a website. At present, the CFS provides RSS feeds for Current Incidents and Warnings. To receive CFS RSS feeds you need a feed reader and must also subscribe to CFS feeds. Select the CFS RSS feeds of your choice above. Once you have successfully subscribed to a feed, information is sent to you after it is published on the website. Important Note: Some third party readers will not refresh as frequently as is required for live updates. It is recommended that if your reader cannot be set to update at least every 5 minutes that you bookmark and check CFS Current Incidents (http://www.cfs.sa.gov.au/site/mobile/current_incidents.jsp) regularly for the most up to date information. Warning Details transmitted using the Common Alerting Protocol The Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) is a standardised system that allows consistent and easy to understand emergency messages to be broadcast across a variety of communication systems. CAP can be used to alert and inform emergency response agencies, media and the general public. CAP ensures that messages remain consistent and clearly indicate to the recipient the severity of the threat and best response. The Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) file below provided by the SA Country Fire Service is an XML-based data format for exchanging public warnings and emergency information between alerting and warning systems. http://www.cfs.sa.gov.au/custom/criimson/CFS_CAP_Incidents.xml CAP for: Bushfire Emergency Warning : SAMPSON FLAT Message ID: 10853002015-01-03T18:55:55+10:30 from South Australian Country Fire Service Actual: Actionable by all targeted recipients. Sent: 18:55 on 2015-01-03 ACDT (+10:30) Language: English (Australian) Event: Fire: Grass Fire Response Type: Execute Levels: Immediate - Extreme - Observed Urgency: For immediate action! Severity: Extraordinary threat to life or property. Certainty: Incident is still going or has definitely occurred. Code: urn:oasis:names:tc:emergency:cap:1.2:profile:CAP-AU:1.0:AUeventLIST:1.0 = grassFire Expires: 20:51 on 2015-01-03 ACDT (+10:30) From: South Australian Country Fire Service Description: CFS advises that a serious bushfire is burning out of control at Sampson Flat in the Mount Lofty Ranges near One Tree Hill, Humbug Scrub, Millbrook Reservoir, Kersbrook, Gumeracha, Birdwood and Mount Crawford Forrest. The SAMPSON FLAT fire is travelling in a very erratic manner and is burning freely in all direction towards Upper Hermitage, Chain of Ponds, the Warren and Cromer areas and the Townships of Inglewood, Houghton, Cuddlee Creek, Lower Hermitage, Forreston, Lobethal, Mount Torrens, Charleston, Williamstown, Woodside, Lenswood, Mt Pleasant. There is a risk to lives and homes. The uncontrolled fire is burning in Scrub. Check and follow your Bushfire Survival Plan. Take shelter before the fire arrives as radiant heat can kill you well before the flames reach you. Only leave if the path is clear to a safe place. You should not enter this area as the roads may not be safe. Well prepared and actively defended homes can offer safety. Stay tuned to our emergency broadcast partners on a battery-powered radio for updates. For information about bushfires, check the CFS website http://www.cfs.sa.gov.au or call the Bushfire Information Hotline 1300 362 361 . Instructions: Check and follow your Bushfire Survival Plan. Take shelter before the fire arrives. Leave now if the path is clear. You should not enter this area as the roads may not be safe. Web: http://www.cfs.sa.gov.au/custom/criimson/1085300.html Target Area: Description: Sampson Flat in the Mount Lofty Ranges Lat,Long Radius(km): -34.7447115840715,138.795319609269 0.0 =============================== Key facts about the Sampson Flat bushfire Jan 3, 2015 THE SAMPSON FLAT BUSHFIRE: WHERE Risk to lives and homes in: Upper Hermitage, Chain of Ponds, the Warren and Cromer areas and the Townships of Inglewood, Houghton, Cudlee Creek, Lower Hermitage, Forreston, Lobethal, Mount Torrens, Charleston, Williamstown, Woodside, Lenswood, Mt Pleasant. Relief centres at Golden Grove Recreation Centre and Curdatta Cricket Club (Sandy Creek). DAMAGE 5 homes confirmed destroyed 6-7 firefighters injured 3-4 sheds lost 10,000+ hectares of land burnt out RESOURCES 500+ firefighters 100 appliances 14 aircraft 2 air cranes WARNINGS Severe thunderstorm warning for nine districts Saturday: Total fire bans in 13 districts (all except Kangaroo Island, Lower Eyre Peninsula) Sunday: Total fire bans in Northwest Pastoral, Flinders districts CONDITIONS Hot temperatures easing but gusty winds causing danger Isolated rain and storms in parts of the fire zone Clear in Adelaide, 28.4C just after 5pm FORECAST Winds up to 40km/h in Mount Lofty Ranges and Adelaide metro area on Sunday. Chance of thunderstorm in Mount Lofty Ranges and Lower South East regions. 31C and mostly clear in Adelaide ==================================== SA bushfire still burning out of control Jan 4, 2015 Share South Australia fire By Tim Dornin and Michael Ramsey More than 30 homes are believed ruined as a major bushfire continues to burn out of control in the Adelaide Hills. Twenty-two people, mostly fire fighters, have also been injured and one fire truck destroyed as a number communities remain under threat. The Country Fire Service downgraded its emergency warning to a watch-and-act message on Sunday, but said the blaze continued to burn freely in all directions. SEE ALSO: BOARDING KENNEL DESTROYED "The entire perimeter of the fire has pockets of free-burning fuel," the CFS said in its latest advice. "Crews are actively patrolling and dealing with the fire edge." Among the communities still considered at risk were those at One Tree Hill, Humbug Scrub, Mount Crawford, Kersbrook, Birdwood, Gumeracha, Kenton Valley, Cudlee Creek and Inglewood. More than 1000 properties in those areas were also without power because of the fire. Premier Jay Weatherill said 12 homes had been confirmed destroyed and there were fears for 20 others. "This is obviously enormously distressing to the people concerned," the premier said. "We'll take every effort to try to reach those people before they become aware and witness the destruction of their homes." Police Commissioner Gary Burns said it was hoped some locals would be allowed to return to their properties on Sunday, but safety would remain the top priority. The fire started on Friday at Sampson Flat, about 30 kilometres northeast of Adelaide. Police are investigating if it was sparked by an incinerator on a local property, though the tenant has denied the suggestion. The man told the Sunday Mail he has not used the incinerator since moving onto the land four months ago. By Sunday afternoon the blaze had destroyed more than 12,778 hectares of scrub and was being described as the worst in the Adelaide Hills since the devastating Ash Wednesday fires of 1983. After temperatures in the mid-40s and high 30s on Friday and Saturday, conditions were milder with a top of 31C forecast for Adelaide. The premier said it was vital for authorities to contain the fire's active edges in the cooler weather, with another hot day forecast for Wednesday. More than 400 firefighters, 80 fire trucks and 14 trucks were involved in fighting the fire, with strike teams and aerial support also coming from NSW and Victoria. Damage assessment teams have moved into the fire zone and the state government is offering emergency relief grants of up to $700 for families who have been affected by the fire as well as help with short-term accommodation. A Bushfire Recovery Hotline has been established on 1800 302 787 . - See more at: http://www.fiveaa.com.au/news/sa-bushfire-still-burning-out-of-control#sthash.QeXcUlrU.dpuf ========================