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NSW and Queensland fires: Victoria sends reinforcements as catastrophic bushfire conditions spread – live 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 coastFears 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. New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern has pledged further bushfire-fighting support if Australia needs it, in a conversation with Scott Morrison, reports AAP.
The list includes hundreds of government and non-government primary and high schools, and TAFEs, including some in relatively suburban areas. Ardern said Australia would receive more support from its trans-Tasman neighbours if they needed it.
“Our thoughts are with Australia right now, these are devastating fires,” Ardern said this afternoon. I contacted Prime Minister Morrison this morning just to touch base and offer New Zealand’s full support.
“He acknowledged that on one of his visits he had actually spoken to one of the New Zealanders already over there.
“I’ve made the offer, to definitely let us know if further support is required. We’re working through an additional request ... for additional fire fighters.”
There are currently five New Zealand fire fighters in the field, with a sixth on the way.
“These people are specialists helping in air attack and heavy machinery supervision, safety, and managing interstate deployments,” Fire and Emergency NZ manager Paul Turner said.
Tomorrow’s conditions for NSW and Queensland are dire, especially in the Greater Sydney, Hunter and Illawarra Shoalhaven where it’s forecast to be catastrophic.
The NSW Rural Fire Service sends out bushfire alerts on radio, TV, and the internet.
If you’re in an affected zone you can tun in to your local ABC radio station, which is an official emergency broadcaster. They’ll give necessary updates (and if you have a battery-powered AM radio, you can still get them if the power goes out).
The ABC Emergency Facebook page also has a list of local Facebook pages, for specific information, here.
Below is the RFS fact sheet.
There is more information here.
The electricity network operator Ausgrid has cancelled most planned maintenance work and put emergency crews on standby ahead of tomorrow.
“Catastrophic fire conditions and temperatures in the high 30s have been predicted across our network,” said Ausgrid’s chief operating officer, Trevor Armstrong.
“The safety of the community and our people is our highest priority and that is why we have cancelled planned maintenance jobs where power would need to be interrupted for extended periods. Limited work will proceed but only in cases where it has been deemed safe to do so.
“With strong winds expected we’re reminding people to stay well back from any fallen powerlines. If you see fallen wires always assume they’re live, stay eight metres away, which is about two car lengths, and call us on 131 388.”
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.Check the list here.
More from Bobin resident, Ned Haughton, who has taken to social media after seeing his town devastated by the fires.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.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: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.”
“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.
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:
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.
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.
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:
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 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”.
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.
“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.