South Australia is still burning after a bushfire ripped through the north of the state, killing two people.
Premier Joe Weatherill confirmed the two deaths at a press conference on Wednesday, calling it "the worst of news." He also said grave fears were held for many more lives.
"Sadly I can confirm two deaths so far, with unconfirmed reports of a third," he said. A body was found in a paddock, one was found in a car and the third is an unconfirmed report of a death after a car hit a tree.
At least 13 other people have been hospitalised, with five in a critical or serious condition with significant burns. One person has more than 80% of burns to their body, and grave concerns are held for their health. At least two of the people hospitalised were helping to fight the fires.
#pineryfire pic.twitter.com/9WSaP01AWm— Walco Seed Cleaning (@walcoseedau) November 25, 2015
Huge amounts of livestock and crops have been lost, including a piggery with 2,000 pigs, along with mass property damage, Weatherill confirmed.
More than 85,000 hectares of grass, cropping land and scrub has been destroyed, with at least 16 homes, a number of outbuildings and an unknown number of vehicles and machines destroyed.
Weatherill stressed this is a very early assessment and the exact extent of the damage is not currently known.
"Even though a significant proportion of the fire perimeter is under control, and the conditions were milder overnight, many fire fronts are still active and they will continue to be battled for some days," Weatherill said on Thursday morning.
On Thursday at 10 a.m., 12 fires continued to burn across the north of the state, according to the Country Fire Service.
On Nov. 19, a fire in Esperance, South Australia, killed three international tourists who were trying to save a horse and one local man.
