Adelaide Hills fires: Dramatic video shows how close fire came as residents reflect on decision to stay and fight

Updated

Sorry, this video has expired Video: Adelaide Hills resident Janine Randell captures dramatic fire footage as Sampson Flat fire approaches home (ABC News)

Even as flames surrounded her home last Friday, Janine Randell knew her husband Scott had been right to stay and defend their Kersbrook property.

"I trust Scott's judgment," she said.

With the help of relatives, Mr Randell attached a pump to their 50,000 litre pool and began putting out spot fires.

"It was very scary. We sent our kids away, but because we had the horses, I wanted to stay, because they wouldn't have survived out in the paddock," Ms Randell said.

She captured dramatic video of the blaze as it approached their house, engulfing nearby trees.

"It was so hot, I could feel my lips burning from the heat," Ms Randell said.

"Then my father-in-law yelled 'It's behind us as well'."

Mr Randell said the fire was coming from all directions.

"It looked like it was coming from over the back but then it jumped the house and got into the big pine trees," he said.

The Randells said they felt fortunate to have saved their property when many neighbours lost theirs.

"I do [feel lucky]. And very, very thankful," Ms Randell said.

'It came down the paddock straight towards us'

Just down the road, two neighbours were running for their lives.

When Tamzyn Woodcock and Tom Osborne saw the fire come over the ridge they believed they were in grave danger.

"It came down the paddock straight towards us ... and that's when we looked at each other and said 'we have to go'," Ms Woodcock said.

They packed their dog, cat and three chickens in the car and drove towards the Country Fire Service (CFS) station in Kersbrook.

"The poor cat was panicking," Ms Woodcock said, who has lived in the Kersbrook house for 16 years.

"One of the chickens died of shock in the car. She laid an egg, and then she died."

After seeking shelter at the CFS station, the couple returned to their property to find their shed, boat and stables destroyed.

Fortunately, there were no horses inside.

They used a generator and pump to extinguish spot fires around the home.

"That was the thing that saved us - having the generator," Ms Woodcock said.

Couple saw bombers over house, decided to go

Ben Allford had only been living at his Kersbrook home for four months before the fire took hold.

"As we saw the bombers coming over our house, that's the point [when] we decided to go," Mr Allford said

He sought shelter at the local general store.

The house that Mr Allford and his partner Jase share was saved by the CFS, however the couple recently moved many personal items into their shed to make space for visiting relatives.

The shed was destroyed along with all their farm machinery.

"It's all very new and distressing," the 28-year-old said as he surveyed the blackened ruins of his shed.

The couple also lost several pets, including their pet sheep Ramsey, Rodney the rooster and an Alpaca named Kerry.

"It was quite upsetting," Mr Allford said.

"I didn't think it would happen this soon after we moved in, so I didn't have time to prepare with petrol-powered pumps.

"That's why we left - because we didn't have the equipment."

The couple has had no access to power or water for several days and have had to dispose of food due to a lack of refrigeration.

Mr Allford said he felt like he was camping in his own home.

"It's essentially a tent with hard walls and a roof," he said.

However, he concedes he was lucky to have a home to live in.

Topics: bushfire, fires, disasters-and-accidents, human-interest, sa, australia

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