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NSW and Queensland fires: residents face 'horrifying beast' of a bushfire, mayor says – live NSW and Queensland fires: residents face 'horrifying beast' of a bushfire, mayor says – live
(32 minutes later)
Huge fires threaten homes on NSW mid-north coast and west of Blue Mountains, as well as near Noosa and Logan in QueenslandHuge fires threaten homes on NSW mid-north coast and west of Blue Mountains, as well as near Noosa and Logan in Queensland
Another emergency warning, for the Myall Creek Road fire (Bora Bridge) in the Richmond Valley area.
The chief executive of the climate council, Amanda Mckenzie, has released a couple of comments:
“We are seeing the impacts of intensifying climate change in Australia now. Bushfire seasons are intensifying, starting earlier and lasting longer than ever before, and we need to take this seriously. “The Federal Government is failing Australians on climate and failing to secure Australians a safe future.”
Police have declared the blaze that is threatening homes at Cooribah on Friday afternoon an emergency and are urging residents in its path to leave now.
They have declared an exclusion zone encompassing Louis Bazzo Drive south to Kimbah Court, and McKinnon Drive east to Lake Cooroibah Road, continuing along Noosa River waterway north to Boreen Point, then across to McKinnon Drive at Louis Bazzo Drive.
The bushfire at Tarome in Queensland is now upgraded to emergency level.
Authorities say it is large, unpredictable and fast moving.
Unbelievable images being sent around from the Mid-North Coast of NSW, everywhere is hellfire orange red.
Stand by for your live blogger potentially being evacuated, looks like fires are now only a few kilometres from this usually uneventful abode in suburban Brisbane.
Firefighters now fighting a blaze at The Gap. There’s a bit of bushland about there but people in Brisvegas using garden hoses in the suburbs is not normal.
Does anyone else get the sense this is not normal? Like the climate has changed or something?
In other news, it’s snowing. Snowing. In NSW. Today.
Half the state is on fire and it’s snowing.
But hey, the climate is totally normal and this sort of stuff happens all the time.
The Mid Coast mayor David West has been preparing his own property and is back live on the ABC.
“It’s a horrible, horrible sight. The fire from Hillville has caused the evacuation of my daughter and her two children from their brand new home. It doesn’t seem that we as human beings have anything we can throw at this beast.“It is incredibly dry, there is no moisture in the air, the wind is ridiculous and we are just getting hammered.”
Lives and homes in Western Australia are also being threatened by bushfires.
An emergency warning was issued for Regans Ford, a small town more than 100km north of Perth, just after midday WST on Friday.
Homes in Woodbine Road are under threat, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services says.
The biggest concern at the moment is that weather conditions could potentially worsen in many places later this afternoon.The biggest concern at the moment is that weather conditions could potentially worsen in many places later this afternoon.
Right across NSW and southern Queensland conditions are hot, dry and windy.Right across NSW and southern Queensland conditions are hot, dry and windy.
“We are getting some increasing aggressive fire behaviour, which is creating a very dangerous and volatile situation,” RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons has told the ABC.“We are getting some increasing aggressive fire behaviour, which is creating a very dangerous and volatile situation,” RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons has told the ABC.
“Because the drought is so profound there is no moisture left in the vegetation. The fires are moving through vegetation very quickly.”“Because the drought is so profound there is no moisture left in the vegetation. The fires are moving through vegetation very quickly.”
This, from The Weather Chaser, shows the smoke and ash plumes above the NSW coast.This, from The Weather Chaser, shows the smoke and ash plumes above the NSW coast.
The New South Wales Rural Fire Service commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons has spoken to the ABC and says the state has “never had this many fires at emergency level”The New South Wales Rural Fire Service commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons has spoken to the ABC and says the state has “never had this many fires at emergency level”
“Unfortunately we are in uncharted territory this afternoon,” he said. “We have 90 fires across New South Wales.”“Unfortunately we are in uncharted territory this afternoon,” he said. “We have 90 fires across New South Wales.”
The Hillville fire, south of Taree, is among the most intense across the state.The Hillville fire, south of Taree, is among the most intense across the state.
This video from the Rural Fire Service shows virtually no visibility due to thick smoke.This video from the Rural Fire Service shows virtually no visibility due to thick smoke.
The two main routes between Sydney and Brisbane – the Pacific Highway and the New England Highway – are both closed at different sections due to the fires.
The Pacific Highway is closed north of Bulahdelah.
A large section of the New England Highway between Glen Innes and Tenterfield has also been closed.
The fire in the Crowdy Head National Park has burned a huge amount of bushland, more than 2,000 hectares was an early estimate.
Here’s a shot taken from beachside Harrington, on the fringe of the national park.
In Queensland authorities have issued a “leave now” alert for a fire at Buccan in the Logan area, between Brisbane and the Gold Coast. The fire is heading east from the Waterford-Tamborine Road.
MidCoast Council mayor David West said he’s anguished as residents brace themselves in the face of volatile fire conditions near Taree.
“From my personal perspective, it’s horrifying,” he said. “I’ve never felt a sense of anguish that I do now, the fear for my community.”
West said a fire near Forster threatened a council building on Thursday night.
“It was literally a wall of yellow, horrible, beastly, tormenting flames,” the mayor said.
“It was a horrendous beast.”
To quickly recap there are now 15 fires burning in NSW at emergency level.
A full list for those wanting information:
Billys Crossing (Crowdy Bay National Park)Carrai Creek (Armidale)Fortescue Creek (Nambucca)Gulf Road (Tenterfield)Hillville Road (Hillville)Jacobs Spur (Willi Willi)Kian Road (Nambucca)Liberation Train (Clarence Valley)Lindfield Park Road (Port Macquarie)Muck Creek (Clarence Valley)Riches Avenue, Woodford (Blue Mountains)Rumba dump (Mid Coast)Schulz Road (Clarence Valley)Stockyard Flat (Walcha)Wandsworth (Armidale)
Mid-Coast council mayor David West has been on the ABC.
“I understand now how the people in London felt during the battle of Britain.”
He’s been cut short because the phone line is poor, but that little tidbit certainly seems serious.
There are some truly amazing images coming from the mid-north coast of NSW, particularly in the area around Port Macquarie, which has turned a sort of hellfire glowing orange.
Welcome to our rolling coverage of the bushfires burning out of control in NSW and Queensland. There are 14 emergency warnings current in NSW and in total there are 89 bushfires burning across the state.
Authorities are now concerned it might now be too dangerous for some people to leave areas under threat from bushfires in NSW.
“The overriding message in a lot of these situations is if you are unprepared and your plan is to leave, then earlier this morning, leaving then was the safest option,” RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said.
“Unfortunately across these 14 fire grounds the principal message being delivered to those impacted communities is about sheltering and sheltering in place, because it is simply too dangerous and too late to leave.”