This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2019/nov/11/nsw-queensland-qld-bushfires-residents-catastrophic-conditions
The article has changed 27 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 8 | Version 9 |
|---|---|
| NSW and Queensland fires: Victoria sends reinforcements as catastrophic bushfire conditions spread – live | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Fears for Sydney and the Hunter with conditions set to worsen on Tuesday, while dozens of bushfires continue to burn across Australia’s east coast | Fears for Sydney and the Hunter with conditions set to worsen on Tuesday, while dozens of bushfires continue to burn across Australia’s east coast |
| The NSW department of education has updated its list of closures, with a number of additional schools and TAFEs now shutting down for tomorrow. | |
| The list includes hundreds of government and non-government primary and high schools, and TAFEs, including some in relatively suburban areas. | |
| Check the list here. | |
| More from Bobin resident, Ned Haughton, who has taken to social media after seeing his town devastated by the fires. | |
| Victoria’s Country Fire Authority is sending more than 300 members to NSW after the fire-ravaged state requested more help, AAP reports. | Victoria’s Country Fire Authority is sending more than 300 members to NSW after the fire-ravaged state requested more help, AAP reports. |
| The CFA is sending 286 firefighters, 18 supporting resources, six additional taskforce members and one CFA liaison officer to be positioned in the Hunter region and Goulburn ahead of the catastrophic fire weather conditions forecast for tomorrow. | |
| That’s in addition to the 11 strike teams sent yesterday afternoon, which will be in position by 7pm. | That’s in addition to the 11 strike teams sent yesterday afternoon, which will be in position by 7pm. |
| The CFA has also dispatched a fleet of 76 vehicles, including 55 tankers and 21 operational support vehicles. | The CFA has also dispatched a fleet of 76 vehicles, including 55 tankers and 21 operational support vehicles. |
| The South Australia Country Fire Service has issued an emergency warning for a fire in White Hutt on the southern Yorke peninsula: | |
| An emotional video shot by Ned Haughton, a climate scientist who lost his childhood home in bushfires at Bobin. | An emotional video shot by Ned Haughton, a climate scientist who lost his childhood home in bushfires at Bobin. |
| A language warning on this one. | A language warning on this one. |
| The ABC is reporting there are eight houses confirmed destroyed in the bushfires at Yeppoon. | The ABC is reporting there are eight houses confirmed destroyed in the bushfires at Yeppoon. |
| This footage was taken yesterday evening. | This footage was taken yesterday evening. |
| Conditions have now worsened, according to the NSW RFS, which means catastrophic conditions will now affect a third major region: the Illawarra Shoalhaven. | |
| “The fire danger is now expected to be worse than originally forecast,” the RFS said. “The Illawarra Shoalhaven has now been added as an area of catastrophic fire danger.” | “The fire danger is now expected to be worse than originally forecast,” the RFS said. “The Illawarra Shoalhaven has now been added as an area of catastrophic fire danger.” |
| “Catastrophic is the highest level of bush fire danger. Homes are not designed to withstand a fire under these conditions.” | “Catastrophic is the highest level of bush fire danger. Homes are not designed to withstand a fire under these conditions.” |
| Catastrophic conditions are equivalent to the conditions of Black Saturday, Australia’s deadliest bushfire, when 173 people died. | Catastrophic conditions are equivalent to the conditions of Black Saturday, Australia’s deadliest bushfire, when 173 people died. |
| This is a blistering editorial here from Tasmania’s the Examiner, Launceston’s daily paper. | This is a blistering editorial here from Tasmania’s the Examiner, Launceston’s daily paper. |
| The regional paper is drawing the links between climate change and bushfires, and singling out Scott Morrison’s “thoughts and prayers” comments directly. A few quotes: | The regional paper is drawing the links between climate change and bushfires, and singling out Scott Morrison’s “thoughts and prayers” comments directly. A few quotes: |
| In Brisbane: | In Brisbane: |
| Smith says helicopters had to be grounded earlier today due to thick smoke obscuring visibility. He says he could not confirm how many houses had been destroyed. | Smith says helicopters had to be grounded earlier today due to thick smoke obscuring visibility. He says he could not confirm how many houses had been destroyed. |
| Superintendent Steve Smith from Queensland RFS is now speaking in Yeppoon: | Superintendent Steve Smith from Queensland RFS is now speaking in Yeppoon: |
| The Australian climate scientist Dr Bill Hare, chief executive of Climate Analytics, has responded to the comments of the deputy PM, Michael McCormack, this morning, who dismissed links between climate change and bushfire as the “ravings” of inner city greenies. | The Australian climate scientist Dr Bill Hare, chief executive of Climate Analytics, has responded to the comments of the deputy PM, Michael McCormack, this morning, who dismissed links between climate change and bushfire as the “ravings” of inner city greenies. |
| Hare told me: “There’s only one word for that really – bullshit. There’s a strong and very well-established connection between climate change and wildfire risk. It’s a foreseeable risk and one we need to plan for, and reduce our emissions to limit and prevent it. His comments are wilfully ignorant and, in a nutshell, bullshit.” | Hare told me: “There’s only one word for that really – bullshit. There’s a strong and very well-established connection between climate change and wildfire risk. It’s a foreseeable risk and one we need to plan for, and reduce our emissions to limit and prevent it. His comments are wilfully ignorant and, in a nutshell, bullshit.” |
| NSW updates: | NSW updates: |
| The Toorumbee Complex fires (formerly the Jacobs Spur and Armidale Road fires) has crossed the Macleay River and Armidale Road, and is heading north-east towards Millbank and Sundown Creek. | The Toorumbee Complex fires (formerly the Jacobs Spur and Armidale Road fires) has crossed the Macleay River and Armidale Road, and is heading north-east towards Millbank and Sundown Creek. |
| The Coombes Gap Complex fire, west of Wauchope, is burning on both sides of the Oxley Highway around Long Flat. “The fire is spreading in multiple directions towards Ellenborough and Tilbaroo Crossing,” the RFS says. | The Coombes Gap Complex fire, west of Wauchope, is burning on both sides of the Oxley Highway around Long Flat. “The fire is spreading in multiple directions towards Ellenborough and Tilbaroo Crossing,” the RFS says. |
| The Washpool state forest fire near Coombadjha is still moving north towards Ewingar. “Smoke and ash is likely in the area of Baryulgil. Watch out for embers which may start spot fires ahead of the main fire front.” | The Washpool state forest fire near Coombadjha is still moving north towards Ewingar. “Smoke and ash is likely in the area of Baryulgil. Watch out for embers which may start spot fires ahead of the main fire front.” |
| The Hillville Road fire, south of Taree, is “spreading quickly”. It is burning in a north and easterly direction. The RFS has told residents they are conducting backburning, so “people in the area may see an increase in fire activity”. | The Hillville Road fire, south of Taree, is “spreading quickly”. It is burning in a north and easterly direction. The RFS has told residents they are conducting backburning, so “people in the area may see an increase in fire activity”. |
| And earlier, RFS inspector Ben Shepherd reminded us that other parts of NSW will still have “severe and extreme” dangers on Tuesday. | And earlier, RFS inspector Ben Shepherd reminded us that other parts of NSW will still have “severe and extreme” dangers on Tuesday. |
| The risk is all across the state, not just in the catastrophic and metro areas. | The risk is all across the state, not just in the catastrophic and metro areas. |
| “We need to ensure that people understand there is a risk in all bushland areas, stretching from Bega all the way to Byron, from the Victorian border to the Queensland border,” he said. | “We need to ensure that people understand there is a risk in all bushland areas, stretching from Bega all the way to Byron, from the Victorian border to the Queensland border,” he said. |
| A full map is below. | A full map is below. |