ADELAIDE (AFP) - Dozens of homes were feared lost as an intense bushfire raged out of control in South Australia Saturday, with firefighters struggling to contain the worst blaze in decades fanned by strong winds.
"Your life is at risk," South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill told residents of the Mount Lofty Ranges east of Adelaide, urging them to leave as the "incredibly dangerous fire" raged in rugged scrub.
"If you ve decided to stay, you need to be aware that the fire will become incredibly scary and could lead you to change your mind at some point. It could be a catastrophic decision for you to leave late," he said.
The blaze at Sampson Flat was spreading in all directions, sweeping rapidly from a 154 hectare area on Friday afternoon to one covering 4,741 hectares with a perimeter of 38 kilometres.
"It s a bit frightening," said Graeme Zucker who left Kersbrook near the blaze and was waiting anxiously to find out whether his home still standing.
"You might be lucky, you might not be," he told Australian Associated Press. "We won t know until the roads are opened and we can drive back and come around the corner. If you see the house there, you jump for joy. If you don t, well you don t jump for joy."
The fire is spreading unpredictably due to wind gusts, forcing firefighters to abandon hopes of stopping the blaze until the weather abates.
"There s not a fire service anywhere in this world that could put this fire out at the moment," Ian Tanner from the Country Fire Service told residents who fled their homes.
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