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| NSW and Queensland fires: fires rage as conditions expected to worsen – live | NSW and Queensland fires: fires rage as conditions expected to worsen – live |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| There are more than 70 fires burning across NSW and dozens in Queensland, where a state of emergency has been declared. Three people are dead and 150 homes have been destroyed | |
| The situation in Queensland, via AAP: | |
| Massive bushfires that have destroyed houses, sheds and cars and forced thousands to flee their homes continue to burn in Queensland. | |
| Fifty-five fires were burning in the state on Sunday morning, including the huge fire at Cooroibah, north of Noosa, where an emergency zone remains. | |
| One house has been lost at Cooroibah on the Sunshine Coast along with three sheds, cars and wildlife. | |
| Multiple homes were also reportedly lost over night north of Rockhampton when a fire tore through Cobraball and nearby Bungundarra. | |
| Fire and emergency services can’t confirm that until assessment teams enter the area. | |
| Thousands have people have been evacuated from the paths of the fires burning in Queensland. | |
| Some estimates say up to 9,000 were evacuated from suburbs at the northern end of Noosa due to the Cooroibah fire. | |
| Brian Williams, 61, says his shed and several cars on his block on Lake Cooroibah Road were destroyed on Friday. | |
| He was out but his 18-year-old son, Beau, was studying at home and called his father. | |
| “He said ‘hey dad, the fire is right on us’,” Mr Williams told the ABC. | |
| “He couldn’t get the fire pump going, it was all panic. | |
| “He said, ‘listen, I have to go’, and as he is going, trees were exploding around him and embers were flying over and kangaroos were running alongside him.” | |
| A firefighter suffered a broken leg but no lives have been lost or other injuries reported. | |
| The winds and hot and dry conditions that have stoked blazes are set to continue on Sunday, ease on Monday, and worsen on Tuesday, challenging crews and people battling to save their homes. | |
| The emergency warnings for Cobraball and nearby Bungundarra have eased but people are warned to be on the alert because conditions could get worse. | |
| They face an anxious wait to see if their homes are still standing because they can’t return until it is safe to do so. | |
| Red Cross Queensland emergency services manager Colin Sivalingum said it was a traumatic time for people in evacuation centres. | |
| “Most people just want to go back home to see what’s actually happening. That’s making them very anxious. That’s what they’re telling us,” he told the ABC. | |
| A state of fire emergency was declared on Saturday in 42 local government areas, prohibiting all outdoor fires and activities such as welding that can spark fires. | |
| People were also told to evacuate ahead of bushfires at Tarome in the Scenic Rim west of the Gold Coast and Thornton in the Lockyer Valley on Saturday but those warnings have been downgraded. | |
| People have been warned not to return to their homes until it is safe to do so. | |
| Authorities say swathes of bushland parched by drought have increased the risk of fires breaking out. | |
| Almost 100,000 hectares and 19 homes have been destroyed in Queensland since the start of September, with 2000 bushfires burning since then. | |
| NSW Rural Fire Service reports all those who were reported missing have been found. | NSW Rural Fire Service reports all those who were reported missing have been found. |
| NSW RFS are warning people not to get complacent despite the easing conditions today, given the worsening conditions in the next few days. Smoke haze is also a major issue in fire-affected areas. | NSW RFS are warning people not to get complacent despite the easing conditions today, given the worsening conditions in the next few days. Smoke haze is also a major issue in fire-affected areas. |
| You can get a sense of the amount of smoke from this graphic from the Bureau of Meteorology. | You can get a sense of the amount of smoke from this graphic from the Bureau of Meteorology. |
| Opposition leader Anthony Albanese has told Insiders he offered to go to fire-affected areas when he spoke with the prime minister yesterday and would visit those areas if it was appropriate to do so. | Opposition leader Anthony Albanese has told Insiders he offered to go to fire-affected areas when he spoke with the prime minister yesterday and would visit those areas if it was appropriate to do so. |
| Meanwhile in Western Australia, it appears a bushfire in Gnangara has eased overnight, after homes were damaged and two people from a nearby retirement village were taken to hospital. Information on the latest conditions in WA can be found here. | Meanwhile in Western Australia, it appears a bushfire in Gnangara has eased overnight, after homes were damaged and two people from a nearby retirement village were taken to hospital. Information on the latest conditions in WA can be found here. |
| David Littleproud, the minister for natural disaster and emergency management, is on the ABC announcing that disaster recovery payments of $1,000 for adults and $400 for children will be made available through Centrelink for people affected by the fires in Queensland and New South Wales from midday today.“We say to those people – please do not self-assess, make the call to Centrelink and they will be able to support you even if you lost everything. If you don’t have any identification, you don’t have any of your bankcards or anything, we’ll get you one,” he said.He said Centrelink would attempt to get buses up to the Gold Coast hinterland and Port Macquarie to support people in those areas. | David Littleproud, the minister for natural disaster and emergency management, is on the ABC announcing that disaster recovery payments of $1,000 for adults and $400 for children will be made available through Centrelink for people affected by the fires in Queensland and New South Wales from midday today.“We say to those people – please do not self-assess, make the call to Centrelink and they will be able to support you even if you lost everything. If you don’t have any identification, you don’t have any of your bankcards or anything, we’ll get you one,” he said.He said Centrelink would attempt to get buses up to the Gold Coast hinterland and Port Macquarie to support people in those areas. |
| When asked whether the fires were a wake-up call for the federal government to develop proper plans for resourcing to fight fires, Littleproud said the government had been prepared. “We have been ready for these fires – we predicted they would be earlier this year because of the research work that the state and federal governments have done together, putting aside politics,” he said. | When asked whether the fires were a wake-up call for the federal government to develop proper plans for resourcing to fight fires, Littleproud said the government had been prepared. “We have been ready for these fires – we predicted they would be earlier this year because of the research work that the state and federal governments have done together, putting aside politics,” he said. |
| “We’ll continue to work that way, to make sure our investments give us the best science, the best technology we need and then also equip our firefighters with the best tools. We’ve got the best firefighters in the world and our job as federal and state governments is to support them with the science and the tools to be able to fight fires and keep us all safe.” | “We’ll continue to work that way, to make sure our investments give us the best science, the best technology we need and then also equip our firefighters with the best tools. We’ve got the best firefighters in the world and our job as federal and state governments is to support them with the science and the tools to be able to fight fires and keep us all safe.” |
| NSW rural fire service deputy commissioner Rob Rogers told the ABC on Sunday morning that the focus for Sunday is on fires on the north coast of the state. He said the fires are likely to flare up again on Tuesday when conditions are worse, and will threaten properties again.He said areas in the North Coast where there are already fires will be the biggest concern with strong westerly winds and low humidity on Tuesday. | NSW rural fire service deputy commissioner Rob Rogers told the ABC on Sunday morning that the focus for Sunday is on fires on the north coast of the state. He said the fires are likely to flare up again on Tuesday when conditions are worse, and will threaten properties again.He said areas in the North Coast where there are already fires will be the biggest concern with strong westerly winds and low humidity on Tuesday. |
| There aren’t any fires in the Sydney, Illawarra and Central West areas at the moment, but Rogers said on Tuesday those areas are a major concern. He said the RFS was looking at how best to deploy resources, as well as keep people in those areas informed to ensure they’re ready on Tuesday. He said there should be an update on the reported five missing people later this morning. | There aren’t any fires in the Sydney, Illawarra and Central West areas at the moment, but Rogers said on Tuesday those areas are a major concern. He said the RFS was looking at how best to deploy resources, as well as keep people in those areas informed to ensure they’re ready on Tuesday. He said there should be an update on the reported five missing people later this morning. |
| Despite all the fires raging throughout the state, there is no total fire ban in New South Wales. The NSW rural fire service says it is using the slightly improved conditions today to strengthen containment lines before it gets worse in the next few days. | Despite all the fires raging throughout the state, there is no total fire ban in New South Wales. The NSW rural fire service says it is using the slightly improved conditions today to strengthen containment lines before it gets worse in the next few days. |
| And in Queensland, there has been a state of emergency declared across half the state, with 42 local government areas affected by fires as of Sunday, from the Gold Coast up to Townsville. Around 5,000 homes have been evacuated and one home reportedly destroyed. | And in Queensland, there has been a state of emergency declared across half the state, with 42 local government areas affected by fires as of Sunday, from the Gold Coast up to Townsville. Around 5,000 homes have been evacuated and one home reportedly destroyed. |
| You can see the affected areas and the declaration here. | You can see the affected areas and the declaration here. |
| Good morning, we will continue to follow the ongoing fire crises in New South Wales and Queensland today. For those in fire-affected areas, please listen to your local emergency broadcaster, and follow instructions from fire crews and authorities. There are multiple warnings still current and the situation remains volatile. See online updates for New South Wales and Queensland. | Good morning, we will continue to follow the ongoing fire crises in New South Wales and Queensland today. For those in fire-affected areas, please listen to your local emergency broadcaster, and follow instructions from fire crews and authorities. There are multiple warnings still current and the situation remains volatile. See online updates for New South Wales and Queensland. |
| There are 72 fires burning across New South Wales as of Sunday morning, 36 of which are out of control. Eleven fires remain at watch and act. | There are 72 fires burning across New South Wales as of Sunday morning, 36 of which are out of control. Eleven fires remain at watch and act. |
| Conditions are expected to worsen over the next few days, including a “potentially dangerous day” on Tuesday, according to NSW rural fire service inspector Ben Shepherd. | Conditions are expected to worsen over the next few days, including a “potentially dangerous day” on Tuesday, according to NSW rural fire service inspector Ben Shepherd. |
| Three people have been killed, with seven reported missing. | Three people have been killed, with seven reported missing. |
| Wytaliba resident Vivian Chaplain, 69, has been confirmed as one of the victims, while an elderly man in Wytaliba is believed to be the second victim, and a body was found in a home in North Taree | Wytaliba resident Vivian Chaplain, 69, has been confirmed as one of the victims, while an elderly man in Wytaliba is believed to be the second victim, and a body was found in a home in North Taree |
| 150 homes have been destroyed, with that tally expected to go up significantly as assessment teams go through the affected areas. | 150 homes have been destroyed, with that tally expected to go up significantly as assessment teams go through the affected areas. |
| Some fire stations have also been destroyed | Some fire stations have also been destroyed |
| South Australia, Victoria, and Tasmania are sending fire crews to NSW. | South Australia, Victoria, and Tasmania are sending fire crews to NSW. |
| NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian and prime minister Scott Morrison will visit affected communities on Sunday. | NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian and prime minister Scott Morrison will visit affected communities on Sunday. |
| About 2,000 people have evacuated to 15 evacuation centres set up. | About 2,000 people have evacuated to 15 evacuation centres set up. |