Two bushfires have merged on South Australia’s Kangaroo Island and are expected to burn for weeks, as firefighters prepare for a dangerous wind change.
The fires started about 5km apart in the inaccessible Ravine Des Casoars Wilderness Protection Area and have burnt through more than 7,500 hectares of native vegetation, timber plantations and private property.
On Wednesday afternoon the combined fire was uncontrolled and burning in a northerly direction towards Snug Cove.
Firefighters and water-bombing aircraft are focused on protecting assets, but the Country Fire Service said efforts might be hampered by changing weather conditions and poor visibility.
If the blaze remains uncontained, northerly winds forecast for Friday could push it towards the Flinders Chase National Park.
For the safety of tourists and the community, the CFS and SA National Parks and Wildlife Service have closed the park from midnight Wednesday until further notice. Extensive road closures are also in place on the western end of the island.
A watch-and-act alert remains active and local residents are being urged to leave the area if not confident of defending property.
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