2015 Pinery bushfire
The 2015 Pinery bushfire was a bushfire that burned from 25 November to 2 December 2015, and primarily affected the Lower Mid North and west Barossa Valley regions immediately north of Gawler in the Australian state of South Australia. At least 86,000 hectares (210,000 acres) of scrub and farmland in the council areas of Light, Wakefield, Clare and Gilbert Valleys, and Mallala were burned during its duration.
2015 Pinery bushfire | |
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Pinery Fire Memorial, Grace Plains | |
Date(s) | 25 November 2015 – 2 December 2015 |
Location | Lower Mid North, Light River and west Barossa, South Australia, Australia |
Coordinates | 34°18′36″S 138°25′26″E (ignition point) |
Statistics | |
Burned area | More than 85,000 hectares (210,000 acres) |
Land use |
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Impacts | |
Deaths | 2 |
Non-fatal injuries | 90; including 5 critical |
Structures destroyed | 470+;
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Damage | A$170 million |
Ignition | |
Cause | Car battery left in paddock |
Map | |
Location of the ignition starting point of the bushfire, in South Australia |
On 25 November, during the major run of the Pinery fire, two fatalities occurred; Janet Hughes, 56, perished while fleeing in a vehicle outside Hamley Bridge; Allan Tiller, 69, perished while fighting the fire on a neighbour's property in Pinery itself. A further 90 people were hospitalized as a result of the fire, with five of the victims suffering critical injuries.
The Pinery fire destroyed or rendered uninhabitable 91 houses, and completely destroyed 388 non-residential structures, 93 pieces of farm machinery and 98 other vehicles. It also caused significant damage to rural produce; 53,000 poultry and 17,500 head of livestock perished and up to A$40 million worth of fodder and unharvested grains were destroyed. Communities affected by the fire included Barabba, Daveyston, Freeling, Greenock, Hamley Bridge, Kapunda, Magdala, Mallala, Nain, Nuriootpa, Owen, Pinery, Pinkerton Plains, Redbanks, Roseworthy, Stockport, Tarlee, Templers, Wasleys and Woolsheds.