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Tasmanian towns urged to evacuate as bushfires rage along coast Tasmanian bushfires rage along coast, forcing residents to relocate
(about 11 hours later)
About 150 residents from small centres in Tasmania’s north-west had to take shelter on the beach on Wednesday morning as bushfires raged along the coast. About 150 residents of northwest Tasmania have been relocated by boat after spending much of the day sheltering on a beach from raging bushfires.
The Tasmania fire service was yet to confirm any damage to property but, from the early hours of Wednesday, had urged the evacuation of Arthur River, Nelson Bay and Temma. A 7,000-hectare blaze that has been burning for days posed a threat to holiday shacks at the small communities of Temma, Arthur River and Nelson Bay, where people were told to evacuate at about 5am on Wednesday.
Many people had nowhere to go but the beach, where they remained until the firefront passed late in the afternoon.
Related: Tasmanian bushfires 'worst crisis in decades' for world heritage forestsRelated: Tasmanian bushfires 'worst crisis in decades' for world heritage forests
But with roads to the nearby evacuation centre blocked, people sought refuge at the beach. “We have no confirmed losses of private property, although there may be some damage,” a Tasmania Fire Service spokeswoman said.
“We’ve got 24 fire crews currently in there, we’ve got aircraft actively water-bombing,” the Tasmania fire service’s deputy chief, Jeremy Smith, told ABC TV. “There have been no major injuries and no stock losses.”
The fire was “high risk” and subsequent smoke and ash would make it difficult to see and breathe, he said. “This is just one of many fires across the state.” Boats collected residents and some stranded fire crews from the beach, just south of Arthur River.
Dry lightning strikes two weeks ago sparked more than 70 fires across Tasmania and authorities have since turned to interstate and New Zealand agencies for help. Residents were being permitted to return to their properties on Wednesday evening with bridges reopened to local traffic.
Weather conditions are forecast to ease with some rainfall on the way but Smith said the challenge was still huge. Winds of up to 60km/h fuelled the blaze for much of Wednesday and as it burns through peat bog, authorities are forecasting it will burn for many more days.
“There will be a number of weeks of hard slog [for] remote area crews,” he said. “We are not going to be putting these fires out,” the spokeswoman said.
“We are very much in a defensive position, trying to establish containment lines and protect property and people that may come under threat.”
The fire is believed to be one of more than 70 started by a dry lightning strike a fortnight ago.
A fire in the Cradle Valley in central Tasmania has prompted the closure of the popular Overland Track until next Wednesday, 3 February, and access to Cradle Mountain has also been shut.
Parks and Wildlife Service boss Peter Mooney said there is no immediate danger to visitors but wants to avoid any risk.
The spate of recent fires includes blazes in 34 reserves and across an estimated 11,380 hectares of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.
“While life and property is always the priority of the co-operative firefighting effort, [agencies are] working closely to prioritise protection of high-value areas within the reserve system,” Mooney said.
40 helicopters and six fixed-wing aircraft are part of the statewide firefighting effort with interstate crews also helping the battle.
On Thursday a team of about 40 firefighters from New Zealand will start arriving in Tasmania.
The resources on loan from interstate include multiple aircraft.