Army heads to Kangaroo Island to help bushfire victims as more than 25,000 koalas are feared dead after flames ripped through their protected habitat
- Over half of 50,000 koala’s on Kangaroo Island have perished in bushfires
- More than 155,000 hectares have been burnt and two people have died
- The fate of the thousands remains unknown as the blaze continues to rage
A convoy of army vehicles with up to 100 reservists is heading for Kangaroo Island to help bushfire victims as rescuers continue to frantically search for injured animals.
At least half of the koala population on the small island off the coast of South Australia state are believed to have been killed after the devastating blaze tore through the area on Friday night.
The blaze remained active on the island on Monday after burning more than 155,000 hectares inside a 300-kilometre perimeter and authorities are concerned about deteriorating weather conditions later this week.
But work to assess the full extent of the damage and help locals get back on their feet is underway with the army personnel and supplies to arrive in Penneshaw on Monday.
A rescued koala injured in a bushfire in Kangaroo Island recovers at Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park
Dead kangaroos and sheep near the roadside following devastating fires on Kangaroo Island
Rescuers have been scouring the West End Highway after native animals, including wallabies and koalas, were left charred while trying to escape the inferno at Flinders Chase National Park.
Work is also underway to restore power supplies with about 600 properties still without electricity.
SA Power Networks says customers may be without services for an extended period while the damage to equipment is determined.
It says only a portion of the affected area has been inspected so far and crews have already identified 12 kilometres of lines brought down.
Some mobile phone and landline services in parts of Kangaroo Island are down, with Telstra advising it is working as quickly as possible to restore connections.
Cooler weather and some rain across the fireground on Saturday and Sunday brought some relief but the Country Fire Service declared a total fire ban for Monday in the wake of a number of flare-ups and the prospect of rising temperatures from Wednesday.
About a third of Kangaroo Island has been burnt in bushfires (pictured) which began on Friday
A ‘watch and act’ alert was issued for Stokes Bay near Lathami Conservation Park on the island’s north coast early on Monday as a scrub fire threatened the area.
A bushfire advice remains in place for the western half of the island with the eastern edge of the fireground extending from the north to the south coast.
A large number of homes, farms and other buildings are thought destroyed along with tourism and service infrastructure.
The fire also claimed two lives with outback pilot Dick Lang, 78, and his 43-year-old son Clayton Lang killed when their car became trapped by flames near Parndana.
The small island off the coast of South Australia state is home to about 4,500 people