Title : Power disconnected in Port Lincoln due to fire danger risk
link : Power disconnected in Port Lincoln due to fire danger risk
Power disconnected in Port Lincoln due to fire danger risk
Wild winds are sweeping across South Australia amid severe bushfire conditions, prompting authorities to cut electricity to Port Lincoln on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula.
Key points:
- The power was switched off at Port Lincoln due to the fire conditions
- Residents will be sent an SMS in the event of more outages in SA
- A dust storm has blanketed parts of the state
SA Power Networks said it had has just restored power to the area, but it was considering shutting power off to the Mount Lofty Ranges, east of Adelaide, in response to the extreme conditions.
Spokesperson Paul Roberts said the decision to cut power to Port Lincoln and its surrounds was taken as a measure to prevent bushfires.
"There was a very real risk, with those sort of conditions of something like a tree limb falling on a line and bringing a line down and sparking a fire," he told ABC Radio Adelaide.
"The fire danger went to 129, which is the catastrophic category.
"[The CFS] were certainly concerned and we made a decision that to protect lives and property we would rather avoid a fire [starting] from infrastructure."
Mr Roberts said the wind front moving across Port Lincoln had abated pretty quickly but the front was now moving towards Adelaide and the Mount Lofty Ranges.
He said SA Power Networks would monitor the conditions but it was possible power could be shut off in the Mount Lofty Ranges throughout the day as well.
"It's possible, we are certainly going to be monitoring the conditions and if the conditions escalate rapidly and the CFS is also saying the fire conditions have escalated, then we may," he said.
He said residents would be sent an SMS in the case of a power outage and it would also be posted on social media.
It comes as a dust storm has blanketed parts of the state with the SES warning strong winds could continue throughout the afternoon.
The SES has urged people to slow down in their vehicles and to drive to the conditions on the road.
It also warned people to stay indoors if they suffered from respiratory problems.
Earlier today, SA Power Networks spokesman Paul Roberts said it would be monitoring conditions throughout the day, with extra crews on stand-by if needed.
"In these sort of conditions, the network can be damaged by stressed trees dropping limbs or loose items in gardens and on roofs being blown onto power lines," Paul Roberts said.
"So people should just be prepared for the potential of a power outage, but also keep us informed if they see anything that we need to know about."
Fire danger levels at catastrophic
The Country Fire Service said the fire danger level for Port Lincoln was now at "catastrophic".
Ken Popkey from Greenpatch CFS on the Eyre Peninsula, said drought conditions were causing dust to drift, impacting visibility.
More to come.
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