A major incident was declared in the afternoon; heat from the fire was 1000°C with speeds up to 100 km per hour. The fire became known as Black Tuesday and it was not contained until the next day and finally extinguished 20 January 2005. This was the worst fire in South Australia since the 1983 Ash Wednesday fires.

Nine people died in these fires and more than 110 people were injured. Approximately 82,000 ha were burnt. The worst affected areas were Wangary, North Shields, Wanilla, Pooindie, Louth Bay, White Flat, Koppio, Greenpatch and Warunda.  Essential services such as electricity, telecommunidations and water were destroyed.  

In terms of personal property, 79 houses were destroyed, 26 homes extensively damaged, 139 vehicles destroyed, 324 sheds destroyed or damaged and 6300 km of fencing damaged. Livestock death totalled 46,500 which were mainly sheep. One aircraft was destroyed worth in the vicinity of $100,000.

The recovery process was immediately put into effect.  This included a Bushfire Recovery Centre being set up at Port Lincoln High School and a State Recovery Committee meeting for the first time on the 12 January. Personal Hardship and Distress grants were provided and a hot line for Centrelink was established. 

The Insurance Council of Australia estimated the 2005 damage at $27.7 million, with the 2011 estimated normalised cost of $41 million.

A class action with claims in excess of $60 million was launched by landholders against the CFS and the driver of the car which started the fire.

In 2013 the South Australian Supreme Court approved a settlement under which insurers paid landholders a total of $8 million.