South Australia sizzles as Heatwave Continues; Grain Farmers warned about fire dangers

Fire crews were kept busy on Saturday by several blazes, including one that burnt about 50 hectares at Price on Yorke Peninsula. County Fire Service state coordinator Phil McDonough has issued a warning to grain farmers who are continuing to harvest. He said it was unusual for extreme heat to occur this early in the harvest season and many farmers may have been caught off-guard. "Once the fire danger index gets over a level which we state at 35 then harvesting operations should stop. And what that means is something might harvest in the morning until the fire danger index gets to that point, and then they might break and do something else for a few hours," Mr McDonough said. He said fire was not only devastating to nearby communities it could also result in crop and machinery loss.