Bushfires have been ravaging certain areas of South Australia, with two people confirmed dead, 90 victims in the hospital and 87 homes burnt to ashes. More than 27,000 head of livestock have also perished in the bushfires.
One man, however, was able to save his house from destruction through quick wits in using smart home technology.
Charles Darwin University vice chancellor Professor Simon Maddocks was in Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia when he was informed of the bushfire ravaging the nearby state. Named the Pinery Fire, the fire was on its way to engulfing Maddocks' property in South Australia, and he would not be able to get there in time to save it as he was 3,000 kilometers away.
Using the property's home security, the agricultural scientist watched as the fire approached.
Watched my farm in SAust explode in fireball today - devastating bushfire - cameras let me see but helpless to act pic.twitter.com/9XwqeG8thq
— CDU Vice-Chancellor (@CDUni_VC) November 25, 2015
Maddocks, however, was not entirely helpless at all. Using an app on his smartphone, he activated the irrigation sprinklers at his property. While his quick thinking was not able to save his crops, which were destroyed by the fire, his farmhouse and animals were able to escape harm. The smart sprinklers played its part in saving the farmhouse and animals, with Maddocks also attributing the rescue to his swift-acting neighbors.
"The fire came up all around the house, but my ability to turn on irrigation systems from my phone in Darwin and the fact that I had neighbours patrolling with fire units, we're lucky we got away with a house," Maddocks said.
"To suddenly watch your 15 years of labour of love just go to pot in front of your eyes is a bit surreal," Maddocks added, stating that he felt so helpless as he was four-and-a-half hours away when the events unfolded.
Maddocks revealed that he will begin to rebuild the property immediately.
