‘Worst fire since Ash Wednesday’

Southern South Australia is facing the worst bushfire since the 1983 Ash Wednesday blaze.

Extreme conditions ... firefighters battle a blaze in Kersbrook, South Australia as the state faces its worse fire conditions since Ash Wednesday in 1983. Picture: Campbell Brodie. Source: Supplied

AUTHORITIES in South Australia believe dozens of homes could have been destroyed in a ferocious and fast-moving bushfire.

The state has today faced the worst fire conditions since the 1983 Ash Wednesday disaster, with soaring temperatures and strong winds hampering efforts to bring the blaze under control.

Worsening conditions ... South Australia is bracing for the worst fire conditions since the 1983 Ash Wednesday disaster. Picture: ABC TV/Twitter Source: Supplied

A massive bushfire in the Adelaide Hills has scorched an estimated 10,000 hectares of land, with residents in 19 towns urged to evacuate their homes.

Meanwhile, a large blaze continues to threaten Melbourne's outer northwest, with conditions spiking above extreme ratings and into "code red" territory.

More than 300 volunteer firefighters from New South Wales will now be sent to South Australia and Victoria to assist.

Sad loss of animal life

About 40 dogs and cats have perished after a bushfire destroyed large parts of a boarding kennel and cattery in the Adelaide foothills.

Few survivors ... Paracombe and Tea Tree Gully CFS rescue a dog from the Tea Tree Gully Boarding Kennel and Cattery, where 40 animals perished. Picture: Dylan Coker Source: News Corp Australia

Fire ripped through the Tea Tree Gully Boarding Kennels and Cattery on Saturday morning, burning down the cattery and a large section of the kennels.

All of the cats and about a third of the dogs at the kennels were killed.

Extreme conditions hit South Australia

The Country Fire Service warned anyone in areas affected by the Samson Flat fire to leave their homes.

A total of 19 areas across the Adelaide Hills region were included in the warnings, including: Mount Pleasant, Kersbrook, Gumeracha, Mount Torrens, Woodside, Lobethal, Inglewood, Upper Hermitage, Breakneck Hill, One Tree Hill township, Little Para Reservoir, Chain of Ponds, Houghton, Cudlee Creek, Lower Hermitage, Charleston, Birdwood, Lenswood, and Williamstown.

Local volunteer firefighters put out a fire near property at risk on Stone Quarry Road, Kersbrook South Australia. Picture: Tom Huntley. Source: News Corp Australia

So far, a confirmed five homes have been lost however the State Emergency Service warns it's likely dozens of properties have been destroyed.

READER PICTURES: Fearsome SA fires captured in remarkable photos

One person who was believed to have been missing after seeking refuge in a dam near Mt Gawler Forest was found safe earlier today.

Emergency effort ... crews battle a fire in Hastings. Picture: Susan Windmiller Source: News Corp Australia

That rare piece of good news came as more than 500 firefighters fought the blaze in extreme conditions, with high temperatures and strong winds proving trying.

BUILDINGS LOST: Huge bushfire destroys homes in Adelaide Hills as CFS warns of catastrophic fire danger

The largest fire in the Adelaide Hills has ripped through an estimated 10,000 hectares of land and is likely to move northeast, but all of its edges remain active and there are unpredictable wind gusts.

Significant blaze ... reader Tori Arbon took this photo in Hillier, South Australia of the huge plume of smoke from a major bushfire. Source: Supplied

At least seven firefighters have been injured fighting the Sampson Flat fire in the Mount Lofty Ranges, as conditions worsen.

The CFS advises that fires burning under today's conditions are likely to be fast-moving and uncontrollable.

View of the deadly Sampson Flat fire from Range Road. Picture: Tom Huntley Source: News Corp Australia

Winds of 100 to 120 kilometres per hour were seen in some parts of the state today.

"Because of that, there's not a huge amount of direct fire-fighting activity being undertaken at the moment," CFS assistant chief officer Rob Sandford said.

Ferocious and unpredictable blaze

The fire — which started on Friday afternoon at Sampson Flat — wreaked havoc as it spread towards Kersbrook before swinging back towards One Tree Hill, Greenwith and Golden Grove.

Co-ordinator Brenton Eden said the fire continued to present challenges as the day unfolded, with winds shifting and more hot temperatures expected.

Huge scale ... an aerial view of the out-of-control Sampson Flat fire near Kersbrook. Picture Dylan Coker Source: News Corp Australia

"Conditions will worsen, they will not get better,'' he said.

A wind change from an easterly to northerly direction has caused the fire to burn in numerous directions, causing smoke to blanket large parts of metropolitan Adelaide.

The CFS said the Sampson Flat fire was "travelling in a very erratic manner".

Weather change eases Victoria fires

A weather change has brought welcome rain but also new problems for firefighters battling blazes in Victoria.

More than a dozen fires burnt across the state on Saturday with separate major warnings issued for areas around Moyston, Dimboola, Edenhope and Cherrypool in the west, while a threatening blaze ignited southeast of Melbourne in Hastings late in the day.

The storm band, which crossed the state from west to east, damped down the major Moyston fire on Saturday afternoon after it had burned mostly out of control since midday Friday.

The fire, which has razed almost 5000 hectares in Victoria's west, was burning within containment lines early Saturday evening and authorities have downgraded a warning to say the immediate threat to homes has subsided.

"The good news is the front has brought some moisture with it, particularly over the western parts of the state where we had that serious fire at Moyston," State Control Centre spokesman Gerard Scholten said.

URGENT FIGHT: Battle to save homes as fires rage through Victoria

"The rain has brought some relief. However, the bad news is the wind change has caused some serious problems down at Hastings and Crib Point."

Moyston fires ... local farmer Phillip Grellet surveys the burnt-out land while helping a fellow farmer as a fire still burns in the background. Picture: David Caird Source: News Corp Australia

The Hastings fire, a grass fire which started just after 2pm Saturday, was burning in a southerly direction down the coastline before the front reached the Melbourne area.

The fire turned easterly after the wind change, burning in the direction of suburban homes.

The popular holiday spot was evacuated, triggering traffic chaos, though the fire was contained before it could cause major damage.

Lightning strikes from the storm front also triggered a batch of new fires in the state's west late on Saturday, and there are "watch and act" recommendations for towns including Dimboola and Edenhope.

One home, four sheds and an unknown amount of livestock were lost in the Moyston fire, which also posed a threat to the nearby township of Maroona before it was contained.

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