Army CH-47 Chinook helicopters drop bales of hay from the air for bushfire-ravaged farmers

The Australian Defence Force has flown in bales of hay to bushfire-ravaged farmers on Kangaroo Island to feed livestock.

Two army CH-47 Chinooks from the 5th Aviation Regiment were pictured soaring through plumes of smoke as personnel visited remote farms on Monday. 

Fires continue to burn across the island, with 210,000 hectares of land already scorched. 

Soldiers worked together to unload large loads of animal fodder and shoved the bundles across the ground into rows. 

The Australian Defence Force on Sunday confirmed plans to expand its presence to help with the clean-up and recovery.

‘They will operate for a couple of days to provide additional reach to enable us to provide supplies in the remoter parts of the island, principally delivering fodder and other supplies,’ Chief of joint operations Lieutenant General Greg Bilton said. 

A photo taken from one of the army CH-47 Chinooks shows the other aircraft metres ahead wading through plumes of smoke 

Travel restrictions have been lifted on the island, but Country Fire Service incident controller Ian Tanner said non-essential travel should be avoided.

‘If you do need to come here to support relatives and friends, then it’s OK to come,’ he said.

‘But if you don’t need to come to Kangaroo Island at this point in time, then please give us a bit longer to get this sorted.’

Australian Army CH-47 Chinooks from the 5th Aviation Regiment deliver hay bales to remote bushfire-affected farms on Kangaroo Island on January 13

Residents on the island have been told expect further danger the next two weeks, with conditions expected to deteriorate on Thursday.  

‘The CFS advises everyone on Kangaroo Island to be vigilant tomorrow as there may be an escalation in fire activity,’ South Australia CFS said.

‘Please monitor your local environment and be aware that fire conditions will be constantly changing throughout the day.’ 

The blaze has destroyed 65 homes and hundreds more buildings on the island.

Satellite photos captured the enormous scale of the devastating bushfires on Kangaroo Island off the coast of South Australia on January 9

Flare-ups across the Kangaroo Island bushfire are expected to continue for up to two weeks, as fire crews battle to bring it fully under control. A koala is seen on Kangaroo Island

The CFS said it is still burning in various spots along the 120-kilometre eastern flank.

Almost 400 firefighters have been deployed on the island with 83 fire trucks supported by 130 farm fire units.

Five water-bombing aircraft are also being used with four observation aircraft helping target their efforts.

CFS chief officer Mark Jones said crew rotations were continuing to ensure the wellbeing of personnel.

The blaze has already burnt through 210,000 hectares inside a 588-kilometre perimeter, destroying 65 homes and hundreds more buildings. A dead koala is seen on Kangaroo Island

‘We’re trying to rotate crews as much as possible, but to their credit, people keep putting their hand up and volunteering to go,’ he said.

At this time I’m not concerned. We’ve got lots of resources on the island.

‘But, of course, I’m sensitive to the demands that have been placed against these volunteers.’

Cooler conditions across the fire zone in the coming days are expected to give the CFS a better chance to deal with the areas of most concern including Stokes Bay, Cygnet River, Vivonne Bay, Seal Bay, Seddon and Birchmore.