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Damage from SA fire escalates

The Country Fire Service says the damage bill from the Sherwood fire in South Australia's southeast has escalated.

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Source: AAP


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The damage from a large bushfire in South Australia's southeast has escalated with six houses now confirmed destroyed.

The Sherwood blaze burnt through about 12,000 hectares of scrub and farmland before it was contained on Sunday.

The Country Fire Service says a damage assessment team has completed a report putting the losses at about $2 million, although that figure is expected to rise as replacement costs come to hand.

The losses include the houses, six farming sheds, three haysheds, six vehicles, more than 250 cattle, several thousand sheep and 4000 olive trees.

The blaze was sparked by a faulty electric fence on Saturday amid catastrophic bushfire conditions.

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The CFS said considering it tore through more than 20 farming properties, the damage could have been much worse.

"Any kind of property loss to a community is heartbreaking," CFS state duty commander Nik Stanley said.

"To have zero human fatalities in such conditions was a testament to the firefighting skills, training and practical application from our crews and the actions from within the community."

CFS crews also managed to save the Master Butchers Co-operative factory which provides work for about 40 locals.


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