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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 Australia’s NSW mid-north coast and west of Blue Mountains, as well as near Noosa and Logan in Queensland Emergency warnings for 17 fires in NSW, three in Queensland and one in Western Australia, as commissioner says NSW is in ‘uncharted territory’
Hi everyone, I’m Luke Henriques-Gomes and I’ll be guiding you through for the rest of the evening. Thanks to Ben Smee for his work today.
A water bombing plane drops fire retardant on a bushfire in Harrington, 335km north east of Sydney, on Friday 8 November.
There are 19 emergency level fires burning in NSW and southern Queensland, with most in the mid-north and north coast areas of NSW. There are also serious fires in the Blue Mountains and the Sunshine Coast.
The area around Crowdy Head National Park near Forster and Hillville near Taree both seem particularly severe, as are fires near the city of Port Macquarie and the town of Grafton.
But it’s worth mentioning there are no winners in the “most serious” stakes, each of those 19 fires, and more than 100 others, should be closely monitored by locals. Act on the advice of emergency services authorities.
The RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons says the state is in “uncharted territory” and has never had so many simultaneous fire warnings. There is also concern that the hot, dry, windy conditions fuelling these fires could get worse in some places through this evening.
Some people have been told it is too late to leave, as many roads have been closed and are considered unsafe to use. Both of the main highway routes running through eastern NSW – the Pacific Highway and the New England Highway – have been closed at various places.
An update on the Coombes Gap fire near Port Macquarie, where many of those orange-red pics are coming from.
The extent of the fires – 16 emergency level fires in NSW and three in Queensland – must be putting a strain on fire resources.The extent of the fires – 16 emergency level fires in NSW and three in Queensland – must be putting a strain on fire resources.
Local crews often share workloads, equipment and expertise with one another. But it’s hard to do that when most communities from Taree to the Sunshine Coast have some sort of fire situation.Local crews often share workloads, equipment and expertise with one another. But it’s hard to do that when most communities from Taree to the Sunshine Coast have some sort of fire situation.
Just to recap.Just to recap.
Today’s fires are “unprecedented”.Today’s fires are “unprecedented”.
The fires in Queensland earlier this year were “unprecedented”.The fires in Queensland earlier this year were “unprecedented”.
The Townsville flood was “unprecedented”.The Townsville flood was “unprecedented”.
The inland flood afterwards was “unprecedented”.The inland flood afterwards was “unprecedented”.
The central Queensland fires last year were “unprecedented”.The central Queensland fires last year were “unprecedented”.
The drought is “unprecedented”.The drought is “unprecedented”.
Residents at Cooroibah on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland are now evacuating after the fire there was elevated to emergency level.Residents at Cooroibah on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland are now evacuating after the fire there was elevated to emergency level.
For those seeking information in relation to bushfires around the Northern Rivers, Clarence Valley, Mid North Coast, and Manning Great Lakes areas, the Public Information and Inquiry Centre (PIIC) has been opened to assist members of the public.
The telephone number to call is 1800 227 228.
NSW police have posted the following safety information:
“Members of the public are reminded to delay all non-essential travel in fire affected areas to assist emergency services.
“Avoid dangers such as damaged powerlines and the possibility of asbestos in fire-damaged properties.
“Monitor emergency websites, including www.rfs.nsw.gov.au, as well as your regular media news sources for updated advice and warnings.”
The NSW Rural Fire Service commissioner calls the situation across a large geographic area of the state ‘severe and extreme’.
We haven’t been able to independently verify any of the images from Twitter, but the photos coming out of these areas are all very similar.
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 Cooroibah 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?