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Bundaleer Forest in recuperation

The beginning of 2013 was a horrid start for landholders in the Bundaleer Forest in the mid north of South Australia. Source: ABC North and West SA

It was when one of the worst fires ever seen swept through the area. Around 2300 hectares of forest and scrubland was burnt, with hundreds of livestock killed.

Three months on, the area is slowly recuperating with landholders rebuilding fences and waiting for that much anticipated rain.

Leith Cooper lost 400 sheep in the blaze that tore through 600 hectares of his land in the forest and Bundaleer Hills.

“It was the one of the worst fires I’ve ever seen, there were reports that the flames were 100 feet above 50 foot pine trees, it was pretty intense,” said Cooper.

“We’ve fenced many kilometres, and it’s very difficult country with 30 degree slopes and rocks, very difficult fencing country, not something that anyone likes doing really.”

He said his fences weren’t covered by insurance but he might revisit his policy.

“My father used to say, he’s put up more fences from floods, never from fires”.

Cooper said he was concerned the country would suffer from serious erosion with the first rain, but luckily this hasn’t occurred.

“Because this country got burnt on Wednesday night, relatively cool, it didn’t actually burn right to the soil surface,” he said. “So there was a layer of a centimetre thick of dry plant remains and that protected the surface, and there’s been very little erosion which is something we’re quite thankful for because it could have been horrendous given these slopes and the intensity of the rainfall.”

The Coopers shearing shed was left unscathed and they haven’t had to restock after losing 400 sheep as they also own land near Broken Hill.

John Malone a nearby landholder in the Bundaleer Hills lost 700 acres of land.

He said he was playing bowls when he heard there was a fire near Curnows Hut.

“I’ve never seen a fire like this one in my lifetime.” he said. “We had out centenary here marking 1884, we put up the old sliprail fences, all but one of them got burnt, so this is the first fire that’s been here in 130 years.”

Foresty SA is currently logging the trees that haven’t been badly burnt.

Salvage operations are expected to continue for the next 12 to 18 months. The area remains closed to the public due to forestry operations and the danger of damaged trees falling.

Burnt patches within the 2011 plantation refilled and the 2012 plantations will be replanted this season.

The 2006 plantations that are currently being cleared will be replanted in 2014.

In total 91 hectares of planting is forecast for the 2013 planting season.