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Fire crews across South Australia and Victoria have been dealt a blow with fires breaking out and reigniting as hot weather moved across the country on the weekend.
Three firefighters have been treated for fatigue and dehydration, six hospital patients have been evacuated to Crystal Brook and people have sought shelter at the evacuation centre in Port Pirie since a fire reignited near Bangor in the southern Flinders ranges just after 4pm on Saturday.
A bus has removed between 20 and 30 people people from the township of Laura, according to an eyewitness at the scene.
Country Fire Service spokesperson Neil Charter said fires broke out across South Australia on Saturday as the state experienced another day of 40+ degree weather.
South Australian and Victorian fire services say the cool change moving across the states on Sunday will do little to help the fires burning in both states as there was no rain expected.
The worse of the fires ignited in the southern Flinders Ranges and in the Adelaide Hills on Saturday, Mr Charter said.
"The fire at Crafers, near Belair National Park was contained after burning 3.5 hectares – it was a concern as it had the possibility of being much worse," he said.
But the news has not been as good for firefighters in the southern Flinders Ranges who are facing an unknown fire front on a blaze they thought was contained.
Plumes of volcanic-like smoke erupted in the southern Flinders Ranges just after 4pm on Saturday as fires in the Bangor region reignited.
Country Fire Service spokesperson Neil Charter said after working through the night, fire crews still were not sure what they were facing.
"We have no idea how big the fire front is – we are trying to establish this information from the air," he said.
Fires in the area initially broke out on January 14 during a week of heat-wave conditions and took two weeks to bring under control.
Since January, fires in the region have destroyed more than 25,000 square hectares.
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ROADS CLOSED DUE TO FIRES:
- Germein Gorge Road, Port Germein
- Possum Park Road, Huddleston
- Hughes Street, Laura
For more updates, visit traffic.sa.gov.au
SOUTH AUSTRALIA IMPORTANT CONTACTS:
Emergency: Triple zeor (000)
South Australia Bushfire Information Line: 1300 362 361
A large hot air mass is filtering over the south east and central western parts of the Country on Sunday afternoon.
The mass has moved past Melbourne on Sunday morning with temperatures reaching into the 40s during the morning.
The hot weather is pushing up through NSW and south west Queensland on Sunday afternoon.
The weather pattern will re-occur over Western Australia and South Australia with temperatures on Monday expected to reach the high 30's, low 40s.
Melbourne should remain within the mid 20s during the week.
"The hot weather front coming from western parts of the country is likely to bring temperatures up again in the coming days.
"In NSW the Riverena and central parts of the state will see high 30s, low 40s to start the week," Weatherzone.com.au meteorologist Sam Brown said.
A cold front could see temperatures drop later in the week. A low in north-western Australia could see rain for central parts of the country, and possibly south eastern parts at the end of the week.
If the cold front is dragged down to South Australia it could see rain for the state from Wednesday.
Storms have also been predicted across eastern and southern states later in the week.
