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Bushfires: Barnawartha residents told to take shelter as conditions deteriorate Bushfires: 10 homes lost in Victoria before cool change sweeps through
(about 3 hours later)
An out-of-control grass fire is raging towards residents in Victoria’s northeast who have been warned it’s too late to leave their homes. Ten homes have been destroyed in Victoria’s southwest and a community in the north remained under threat from a fire still burning out of control near the New South Wales border.
The Country Fire Authority issued an emergency warning for Barnawartha, Indigo Upper and Indigo Valley about 12.30pm on Sunday. A southwesterly change that swept across the state was yet to reach a fire at Barnawartha on Sunday evening, when residents of Yackandandah, Wooragee, Leneva and Leneva West were told to leave immediately.
“You are in danger, act now to protect yourself. It is too late to leave,” the CFA said. It was not known whether any homes had been lost in Barnawartha blaze which burned throughout Sunday.
A predicted southwesterly change hit the area with wind gusts up to 80km/h as conditions rapidly deteriorated. A large bushfire raging through thick scrub north of Newcastle broke containment lines on Sunday afternoon as crews battled dozens of blazes across the state in hot, dry conditions.
All of the state’s firefighting aircraft had been dispatched to help crews on the ground. The fire had burnt 350ha hectares of scrub near the Williamtown Airport.
The emergency management commissioner, Craig Lapsley, said authorities were battling numerous fires across Victoria. People living along Nelson Bay Road between Richardson Road and Medowie Road were warned to be vigilant against embers, after the blaze “spotted” across its southern lines.
“The reason we emphasise wind change is that things change when the winds change,” he told reporters on Sunday. Smoke forced the closure of Nelson Bay Road and Medowie Road at around 1pm on Sunday, with firefighters working to contain the blaze as a “watch and act” alert was issued.
“If we have a fire running, it’s fed with a northerly, it changes direction and it’s very dynamic and can become an unsafe fire ground not only for our firefighters but our communities too.” Ten homes had been confirmed lost in Victoria on Sunday afternoon, another two damaged and 23 sheds destroyed, by a fire that took residents by surprise at Scotsburn, near Ballarat on Saturday.
He said the 4,000ha Scotsburn fire, near Ballarat, was of critical concern and at least eight buildings had already been destroyed. Graeme Baxter from the state control centre said the threat to Scotsburn had eased, but the fire had left a big impact on a small community.
The volatile conditions at Scotsburn had caught many off guard, he said. “The speed at which this sort of fire can travel can be quite frightening,” Baxter said.
Firefighters were trapped and forced to shelter in their tankers as the bushfire burned over them in two separate incidents on Saturday, the Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, said earlier. The emergency management commissioner, Craig Lapsley, earlier said the volatile conditions at Scotsburn caught many off guard.
Three CFA crews, in two separate incidents, were lucky to escape when their vehicles became trapped when a storm cell ran into the smoke plume at Scotsburn, pushing the fire to the west while the winds came from the north.
This shows the sheer intensity of the #Scotsburn blaze. So hot the alloy rim of this wheel was reduced to a puddle. pic.twitter.com/4XICjWhNomThis shows the sheer intensity of the #Scotsburn blaze. So hot the alloy rim of this wheel was reduced to a puddle. pic.twitter.com/4XICjWhNom
The fire near Scotsburn is one of four fires burning out of control in Victoria, fanned by temperatures of up to 40C and winds gusting up to 100km/h. “That actually caught firefighters out,” Lapsley said.
At a press conference in the Victorian fire control centre on Sunday, Andrews said firefighters in three Country Fire Authority tankers – two at one location and one at another – were trapped in the unpredictable conditions in the Scotsburn fire and had to initiate their burn-over procedures, which allowed them to shelter in the tankers while the fire burned around them. The trapped crews activated the sprinklers over the trucks and huddled under fire retardant blankets until the danger had passed.
It’s believed the Scotsburn fire was started by a spark from machinery operating in a paddock.
Baxter said the danger to those near the Barnawartha fire should pass later this evening as the cool change reached the state’s north.
The change brought relief to much of the state and conditions are expected to settle for the next few days.
“It’s time to draw a breath,” Baxter said. “Things will be much calmer and cooler.”Victoria’s premier, Daniel Andrews, applauded firefighting efforts and said this weekend was another example of fire crews putting their lives on the line to protect Victorians.
“Those firefighters came out safe,” Andrews said. “The protocols worked and in a great symbol of what our volunteers and career firefighters mean, what they are really about, those firefighters were back on the fireground just a short while later.”“Those firefighters came out safe,” Andrews said. “The protocols worked and in a great symbol of what our volunteers and career firefighters mean, what they are really about, those firefighters were back on the fireground just a short while later.”
A large bushfire raging through thick scrub north of Newcastle has broken containment lines as crews battle dozens of blazes across the state in hot, dry conditions. Firefighters responded to 43 grass and bushfires across NSW on Sunday as hot, dry and windy conditions from South Australia and Victoria pushed north.
The fire has burnt 350 hectares of scrub near the Williamtown Airport, and is now blowing south towards Nelson Bay Road.
People living along Nelson Bay Road between Richardson Road and Medowie Road have been warned to be vigilant against embers, after the blaze “spotted” across its southern lines.
Smoke forced the closure of Nelson Bay Road and Medowie Road at around 1pm on Sunday, with firefighters working to contain the blaze as a “watch and act” alert was issued.
Firies have responded to 43 grass and bushfires across the state on Sunday as hot, dry and windy conditions from South Australia and Victoria push into NSW.
Total fire bans have been issued for eight areas across southern and western NSW as well as the ACT, with severe fire danger ratings in place across the same regions.
The Victorian emergency services commissioner, Craig Lapsley, said the firefighters were facing “erratic fire conditions” caused when a storm cell crossed the smoke from the bushfire, causing it to move west despite the prevailing winds from the north.
“That actually caught firefighters out,” Lapsley said. “They actually realised it and had a short warning, put all their procedures in place, were impacted by fire and came out of there with a story to tell of what they have done to be able to succeed under very, very, very trying circumstances.”
One of the firefighters sustained a burn, but there were no other reported injuries.
Related: Firestorm: The story of the bushfire at DunalleyRelated: Firestorm: The story of the bushfire at Dunalley
Lapsley said the unpredictable conditions also trapped residents at their homes as the fire approached, and said the casualties could have been much worse. Total fire bans were issued for eight areas across southern and western NSW as well as the ACT, with severe fire danger ratings in place across the same regions.
“Yesterday had potential to be a very significant day,” he said. “The losses are losses but had the potential to be huge in numbers so let’s look at some of the saves, great firefighting, great initial response to all fires and we’ve only got a small number that we’re still dealing with.” Jane Garrett, Victoria’s emergency services minister, said veterinarians had been sent out to help farmers assess their stock losses, as well as treat any injured wildlife. She said one of the properties damaged was a horse stud, and additional vets were helping the owners “with what is a very traumatic time”.
The Scotsburn fire is believed to have been started by the use of machinery in a paddock on Saturday and had burned through 4,000ha by Sunday morning. It was expected to be affected by a cool change around 12pm, which would swing the wind around from a northerly to a south-westerly, potentially turning the long flank of the fire into the new fire front.
“We could have a fire running it’s fed with a northerly, it then changes direction and it’s quite critical, it’s very dynamic, it can become a very unsafe fireground not only for our firefighters but for our community,” Lapsley said.
Jane Garrett, emergency services minister, said veterinarians had been sent out to help farmers assess their stock losses, as well as treat any injured wildlife. She said one of the properties damaged was a horse stud, and additional vets were helping the owners “with what is a very traumatic time”.
Garrett said initial emergency relief payments of $1,300, and grants of up to $32,000, had been made available to affected people through relief centres a Buninyong and Ballan.Garrett said initial emergency relief payments of $1,300, and grants of up to $32,000, had been made available to affected people through relief centres a Buninyong and Ballan.
Lapsley said fire crews were also working to control three fires sparked by lifghtning strikes, which were all burning in thick, forested areas. Aerial tankers were dropping fire retardant on blazes in the Otways national park, northwest of Lorne; the Black Range and areas near Buxton, about 80km northeast of Melbourne, near Marysville; and in an area east of Orbost in East Gippsland. Victoria police have also charged a 34-year-old man with conduct endangering life for allegedly lighting a fire near Epping, in the outer suburbs of Melbourne, one of 300 fires to start around the state on Saturday. He was remanded in custody and will face court on Monday.
A watch and act warning has also been issued for a fire at Wandin North, on the northern outskirts of Melbourne.
“We are obviously working on those to ensure that we have them under control today and we are not working on them for a number of days,” Lapsley said.
“The potential there is if we don’t get them into a control position they may be in that bush for days on end and we don’t want that prior to Christmas.”
Police have also charged a 34-year-old man with conduct endangering life for allegedly lighting a fire near Epping, in the outer suburbs of Melbourne, one of 300 fires to start around the state on Saturday. He was remanded in custody and will face court on Monday.
Total fire bans were also issued for eight areas across southern and western NSW as well as the ACT, with severe fire danger ratings in place across the same regions.
In Tasmania, fire crews were also bracing for soaring temperatures and extreme conditions on Sunday. Fire bans were in place in the state’s north and south.
Tasmania Fire Service spokesman Michael Watkins said five fighters were controlled in the north of the state, and crews were attending to two other fires, but it was not yet known how bad those fires are.
“At 9am it was 28C in Launceston,” he said. “Winds are already at 20-30km/h which makes it difficult for fire crews.”
Conditions are likely to improve during the week but fire bans could be in place for Christmas Day as the reprieve is only expected to last a few days.
Meanwhile, Adelaide was finally starting to cool down following a record run of temperatures above 40C. On Saturday temperatures in the city peaked at 43.2C at 4pm but by that evening the mercury was descending, although remaining in the high 30s during the start of the expected cool change.Meanwhile, Adelaide was finally starting to cool down following a record run of temperatures above 40C. On Saturday temperatures in the city peaked at 43.2C at 4pm but by that evening the mercury was descending, although remaining in the high 30s during the start of the expected cool change.
Saturday was the fourth consecutive day where the mercury topped 40C and the blistering conditions have been blamed on a stationary high pressure system in the Tasman Sea which has been dragging hot air from the centre of Australia. Some crops were destroyed as 15 fires burnt, started by lightning strikes.Saturday was the fourth consecutive day where the mercury topped 40C and the blistering conditions have been blamed on a stationary high pressure system in the Tasman Sea which has been dragging hot air from the centre of Australia. Some crops were destroyed as 15 fires burnt, started by lightning strikes.
Country Fire Service spokesman Mark Wheeler said a cool change arrived in the early hours of Sunday, with temperatures dropping significantly and rain falling across the state.Country Fire Service spokesman Mark Wheeler said a cool change arrived in the early hours of Sunday, with temperatures dropping significantly and rain falling across the state.
“There are no fire events to speak of at the moment,” Wheeler said. “We effectively dodged a bullet yesterday.”“There are no fire events to speak of at the moment,” Wheeler said. “We effectively dodged a bullet yesterday.”
Australian Associated Press contributed to this reportAustralian Associated Press contributed to this report