Heart-stopping video shows the moment a family are trapped by a raging firestorm on Kangaroo Island

A heart-stopping video captures the terrifying moment a family was just moments from death as a raging firestorm encircled their Kangaroo Island home.

Father-of-two Ben Davis, along with his brother Brenton and dad Peter, decided to stay behind in a desperate attempt to save the family farm.

Around half of Kangaroo Island has now burned in days of devastating bushfires. 

In the unbelievable footage, the men are seen trying to plan their escape after the farm succumbed to a hellish fire tornado.

Peter, Ben and Brenton Davis (pictured, left to right) stayed behind to try and defend the family’s Kangaroo Island farm, but the fire was too intense

Embers are seen blowing wildly through the air as the Davis family home succumbed to the fire on Kangaroo Island (pictured)

Embers are seen blowing wildly through the air as the Davis family home succumbed to the fire on Kangaroo Island (pictured)

The flames are frighteningly close to the family home on Kangaroo Island (pictured), with the temperature inside soaring

The flames are frighteningly close to the family home on Kangaroo Island (pictured), with the temperature inside soaring

As the temperature rises, embers are seen flying through the air towards the house – as a children’s swing set burns in the background. 

The fire tornado was so strong that it swept up the children’s trampoline and flung it at the property.

Despite their remarkable effort, the Davis men were unsuccessful and lost their home as well as 400 sheep and 400 beehives. 

Ben’s terrified wife Sabrina posted about the incident online, writing: ‘If you’re considering staying to defend your property in a bushfire, please watch this footage.

‘Here is our house and home on fire.

‘My husband Ben Davis, brother-in-law Brenton Davis and father-in-law Peter Davis luckily made it out alive.’

The flames form a tornado of fire outside the Davis family farm (pictured) as the men endure the front moving over the house

The flames form a tornado of fire outside the Davis family farm (pictured) as the men endure the front moving over the house

The apocalyptic scene outside the property (pictured) shows the savage nature of the Kangaroo Island bushfire

 The apocalyptic scene outside the property (pictured) shows the savage nature of the Kangaroo Island bushfire

The Davis family desperately tried to save their home and farm on Kangaroo Island (pictured) but lost it to the devastating fires

The Davis family desperately tried to save their home and farm on Kangaroo Island (pictured) but lost it to the devastating fires

After the fire front moved on, the men filmed their surroundings as they carefully drove to safety (pictured)

After the fire front moved on, the men filmed their surroundings as they carefully drove to safety (pictured)

While their home was lost, the men were able to save several suitcases full of clothes and toys, as well as precious pictures.

Peter, 73, has been a member of the CFS for more than 50 years, but says he has never seen anything as intense as the bushfire which destroyed his son’s home.

He had grown up on the farm before he sold it to his son, Ben, 12 years ago. 

‘You see huge amounts of embers, you see things flying through the air and these twisters where flames go up like a tornado,’ he told the Advertiser.

‘It’s awesome – it’s unbelievable the power and the combustion of things and the noise is intense.

‘It picked up a trampoline and threw it on the corner of the house and the car and then it picked it up again and threw it another 20m.’

Their home was in Gosse, on the west of the island.

After the fire front moved over the area, trapping the men inside, they soon realised the roof was on fire and knew they had to escape quickly.

After the fire front left the area, the Davis men went outside to assess the damage (pictured)

After the fire front left the area, the Davis men went outside to assess the damage (pictured)

The farm was all but destroyed by the fire (pictured) but they were able to save two utes

The farm was all but destroyed by the fire (pictured) but they were able to save two utes

The Davis men were met with a scene of total devastation (pictured) after the Kangaroo Island bushfire had swept through their family farm

The Davis men were met with a scene of total devastation (pictured) after the Kangaroo Island bushfire had swept through their family farm

They escaped in two utes, with further video showing them carefully driving away from the danger – with the fire-ravaged countryside all around them. 

It comes as exhausted firefighters battling fierce blazes on Kangaroo Island rejoiced as rain fell on Friday morning.

They had been gearing up for a horror day of action after multiple fires flared up overnight but downpours brought reprieve for fireys and locals alike.

Kingscote, which is home to 1,800 on the island’s north-east, was isolated after a spreading fire inland prompted a watch and act warning for the town.

Last night terrified residents fled to an evacuation centre on the town’s oval while others slept in caravans at the jetty to be close to the water.

It was the first time warnings had extended so far east since the bushfires began on the island on 20 December.

The township of Parndana in the centre of the island has an emergency warning in place, as does the island's south coast. Residents have been told to evacuate before it's too late

The township of Parndana in the centre of the island has an emergency warning in place, as does the island’s south coast. Residents have been told to evacuate before it’s too late

Officials are hoping that cooler temperatures of 21C will bring respite today and tomorrow before the mercury hits 24C on Sunday and 29C on Monday.

The ferry service from the mainland has been asked to restrict travel to freight, local residents and emergency service personnel.

Officials are confident Kingscote will remain a safe place and the road to Penneshaw, another safe haven, was still open early on Friday. 

The township of Parndana in the centre of the island has an emergency warning in place, as does the island’s south coast. Residents have been told to evacuate before it’s too late. 

CFS volunteers (pictured) along with over 100 Army Reservists and self-sustainment supplies, are on Kangaroo Island as part of Operation Bushfire Assist

CFS volunteers (pictured) along with over 100 Army Reservists and self-sustainment supplies, are on Kangaroo Island as part of Operation Bushfire Assist

Firefighters are seen at Kingscote oval (pictured) after fighting fires through the night on Kangaroo Island

Firefighters are seen at Kingscote oval (pictured) after fighting fires through the night on Kangaroo Island

On the south coast, some properties at Vivonne Bay have been destroyed with several firefighters suffering minor injuries.

The overnight escalation in fire activity cut power to more properties with about 850 now without electricity.

SA Power Networks said its crews had been relocated to Penneshaw for safety reasons and would wait for CFS clearance before re-entering the fire zone.

Smoke from the fires has affected a large swathe of South Australia, with air quality in a number of areas listed as very poor.

Late on Thursday, CFS chief officer Mark Jones warned the fires would likely burn for some time.

A community message on a noticeboard on Kangaroo Island (pictured) as the area continues to suffer from the devastating bushfires

A community message on a noticeboard on Kangaroo Island (pictured) as the area continues to suffer from the devastating bushfires

‘The condition of the fires is such that it’s unlikely that they will be extinguished by the rain, and they will continue to burn,’ Mr Jones said.

The fire has already destroyed 160,000 hectares across Kangaroo Island, including most of the famed Flinders Chase National Park.

It has claimed two lives, with outback pilot Dick Lang, 78, and his 43-year-old son Clayton killed as they returned to their home.

The blaze first broke out on December 20 from a lightning strike but escalated rapidly last Friday before jumping containment lines again on Thursday.

More than 50 homes and many more other buildings are already listed as destroyed with that number to grow significantly following a revised damage assessment.

2019/2020 FIRE SEASON DEATH TOLL

The national death toll in Australia’s 2019/2020 bushfire season was 26 as of Friday January 10, with 20 confirmed deaths in New South Wales, three in South Australia and three in Victoria. 

OCTOBER

New South Wales: 

Robert Lindsey, 77, and Gwen Hyde, 68, were found in their burned out Coongbar home near Casino on October 9th. 

NOVEMBER

New South Wales:

The body of 85-year-old George Nole was found in a burnt out car near his home in Wytaliba, near Glen Innes.

Vivian Chaplain, a 69-year-old woman from Wytaliba, succumbed to her injuries in hospital after attempting in vain to save her home and animals from the blaze.

The body of 63-year-old Julie Fletcher was pulled from a scorched building in Johns River, north of Taree. 

Barry Parsons, 58, was found in a shed at Willawarrin, near Kempsey.

Chris Savva, 64, died after his 4WD overturned near burnt-out South Arm bridge, near Nambucca Heads.

A 59-year-old man was founded sheltered in a Yarrowitch water tank on November 7. He died of injuries on December 29.

DECEMBER

New South Wales:   

Firefighters Andrew O’Dwyer, 36, and Geoffrey Keaton, 32, died on December 19 after a tree fell on their truck while they were travelling through Buxton, south of Sydney.

Samuel McPaul, 28, was battling a blaze in Jingellic, in Green Valley, about 70km east of Albury on the border of NSW and Victoria, on December 30 when a ‘fire tornado’ caused his 10-tonne firetruck to roll. 

South Australia:

The body of 69-year-old Ron Selth was found in his Charleston home, which was destroyed by the Cudlee Creek blaze on December 21. 

NEW YEAR’S EVE FIRES 

New South Wales: 

Dairy farmer Patrick Salway, 29, and his father Robert, 63, died trying to save their property in Cobargo, near Bega, on December 31. 

A 70-year-old man, named by local media as Laurie Andrew, was found dead outside a home at Yatte Yattah, west of Lake Conjola.

The body of a 70-year-old man was found in a burnt vehicle on a road off the Princes Highway at Yatte Yattah on the morning of New Year’s Day.

The body of a 62-year-old man was found in a vehicle on Wandra Road at Sussex Inlet about 11.30am on New Year’s Day.

A body, believed to be a 56-year-old man, found outside a home at Coolagolite, east of Cobargo on New Year’s Day.

An off-duty RFS firefighter, believed to be 72-year-old Colin Burns, was found near a car in Belowra after the New Year’s Eve fires swept through. 

Victoria: 

Beloved great-grandfather Mick Roberts, 67, from Buchan, in East Gippsland, was found dead at his home on the morning of New Year’s Day. 

Fred Becker, 75, was the second person to die in Victoria. He suffered a heart attack while trying to defend his Maramingo Creek home.

JANUARY

New South Wales:

David Harrison, a 47-year-old man from Canberra, suffered a heart attack defending his friend’s home near Batlow on Saturday, January 4. 

A 71-year-old man was found on January 6. Police have been told the man was last sighted on December 31, 2019 and was moving equipment on his property in Nerrigundah. 

Victoria:

Forest Fire Management firefighter Mat Kavanagh, 43, was killed Friday January 3 when he was involved in a two-car crash on the Goulburn Valley Highway.

South Australia: 

Well-known outback pilot Dick Lang, 78, and his 43-year-old son, Adelaide surgeon Clayton Lang, died in the Kangaroo Island bushfire after their car was trapped by flames.  

 

 

 

 

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