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/12/nsw-fires-qld-bushfires-queensland-australia-new-south-wales-catastrophic-fire-danger-warning-emergency-sydney-illawarra-hunter-shoalhaven
The article has changed 30 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Previous version
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
Next version
Version 11 | Version 12 |
---|---|
NSW and Qld fires: nine emergency warnings issued for out-of-control bushfires – live | |
(32 minutes later) | |
New South Wales residents prepare for catastrophic fire conditions across Greater Sydney, Hunter and Illawarra/Shoalhaven with strong winds and high temperatures forecast as dozens of bushfires continue to burn across both Queensland and NSW | New South Wales residents prepare for catastrophic fire conditions across Greater Sydney, Hunter and Illawarra/Shoalhaven with strong winds and high temperatures forecast as dozens of bushfires continue to burn across both Queensland and NSW |
Melinda Pavey is the NSW member for Oxley. She’s at the Kempsey Showground, which is acting as an evacuation centre for people affected by a number of fires in the area, including the emergency level Carrai East fire. | |
“We’re just hearing and listening to people and their stories,” Pavey says. “One family from up at Bellbrook went down to the Kempsey races and they came home and the house was gone.” | |
Pavey tells me they’ve had about 600 people register at the showground, and she’s just come from the Macksville evacuation centre which was “full of volunteers getting ready for people to come in”. | |
“Here we’ve got tables and tables laden with donated food and clothes and toys, for people who have lost everything,” she says, adding that local businesses and charities had donated food, fans and games consoles for the kids to stay entertained. | |
“It’s typical of Kempsey and Macksville, helping the community. There’s a tremendous spirit but also a feeling of trepidation, everyone is on tenterhooks about the heat and the wind and what’s going to happen.” | |
Pavey says her own home is not in danger but she’s worried about others. | |
“I’m worried about Bellingen tonight with the southerly. I’m just worried. I don’t want people to go through the pain.” | |
The ninth emergency warning. The fire near Kian Road has breached containment lines and is burning towards Macksville. | |
“If you’re near Talarm, Macksville, Allgomera Creek, seek shelter,” the Rural Fire Service says. | |
More from the Bureau of Meteorology, which has warned that conditions will become “increasingly dangerous throughout the afternoon”. | |
The bureau’s state manager, Ann Farrell, told AAP a low-pressure system would bring “strengthening, hot, dry winds” that will make firefighters’ job much harder. | |
Earlier the Rural Fire Service commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, said that the worst winds would not sweep through until midnight. | |
Stuart Ellis from the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council also told ABC TV that: “This event will develop late in the day, particularly for Sydney, the Hunter and the Illawarra.” | |
Fitzsimmons stresses that all the fires are “getting closer to population centres”. | |
“That’s why we invested very much in the predictive maps earlier today,” he says. “To show that these fires are getting closer to population centres.” | |
There are currently eight emergency warnings around NSW. There are 71 fires across the state, 40 uncontained. Eight are at emergency warning level and 10 are at watch and act. | |
Fitzsimmons says all eight fires are near population centres. | |
The eight fires are: | |
The Myall Creek fire near Woodburn. | |
The Liberation Trail fire west of Coffs Harbour. | |
The Thunderbolts Way fire, north of Gloucester. | |
The Gulf Road fire near Tenterfield. | |
The Hillville Road fire near Nabiac, south of Taree. | |
The Whans Road fire in Llangothlin. | |
The Carrai fire west of Kempsey. | |
The Reserves Road fire, north of Gloucester. | |
The NSW Rural Fire Service commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, says that winds are up to 80km/h across the greater Hunter and 70km/h in the Blue Mountains. | |
“This will only worsen through the afternoon as the weather conditions continue to deteriorate,” he says. “Those winds will only get stronger in the afternoon.” | |
He says three properties have been impacted, and potentially destroyed, by the Hillville fire near Taree. | |
“The conditions have still got a way to go before they reach the potential of the forecast,” he says. | |
Naaman Zhou here, taking over the blog again. Thanks to my colleague Chris Knaus. | |
We are expecting another update from the NSW Rural Fire Service commissioner in a few minutes. | |
Let’s take a moment to recap the day, as NSW battles unprecedented fire danger. The main concern continues to be around bushfires on the mid-north coast of NSW, but we’re also seeing significant fire danger in Queensland and South Australia. | |
The NSW Rural Fire Service has issued eight emergency warnings for bushfires across the state, including for fires at Hillville Road (near Nabiac and Failford), Llangothlin (near Armidale), Thunderbolts Way (north of the Gloucester), Gulf Road (south-west of Tenterfield), and Reserves Road.. | |
There are more than 50 fires burning in NSW, most of them uncontrolled. A total fire ban remains in place. Authorities in NSW are warning conditions will continue to worsen throughout the day with strengthening winds and higher temperatures. | |
Fire danger is still rated as “catastrophic” in the greater Sydney, greater Hunter and Illawarra/Shoalhaven regions. | |
Changing winds moving north up the NSW east coast this evening are expected to create significant danger, potentially switching the direction of the fire front and intensifying winds. | Changing winds moving north up the NSW east coast this evening are expected to create significant danger, potentially switching the direction of the fire front and intensifying winds. |
Nine schools in north-west NSW and the Upper Hunter have been evacuated as a precaution. That’s on top of hundreds of schools and Tafes already closed by the state government. | |
A state of fire emergency has been declared across 42 local government areas in Queensland. The main concern is in the state’s south-east, and conditions are expected to worsen into the afternoon. | |
The bushfires have led to a significant worsening of air quality as smoke haze drifts across NSW and south-eastern Queensland. | |
Residents near Baryulgil are being warned to seek shelter as the Washpool state forest fire approaches. It is now too late to leave. The NSW Rural Fire Service has issued an emergency warning for the fire, the seventh such warning for fires across the state today. | |
A sixth emergency warning has just been issued by the NSW Rural Fire Service. This one is for the Liberation Trail fire, near Clarence Valley. The fire has breached containment lines. Authorities are advising residents in the areas of Nana Glen and Coramba that they should leave immediately towards Coffs Harbour. | |
Conditions are expected to worsen significantly this afternoon as a wind change moves through NSW. Meteorologists are expecting the change to bring southerly winds up the coast, reaching Wollongong between 5pm and 6pm, Sydney at 7pm, Newcastle between 8pm and 9pm, and Port Macquarie about midnight. | Conditions are expected to worsen significantly this afternoon as a wind change moves through NSW. Meteorologists are expecting the change to bring southerly winds up the coast, reaching Wollongong between 5pm and 6pm, Sydney at 7pm, Newcastle between 8pm and 9pm, and Port Macquarie about midnight. |
That change complicates the fires significantly. It not only changes the direction of the fire front, but intensifies winds. Stronger winds will carry embers well ahead of the fire front and spread fires with greater speed. | That change complicates the fires significantly. It not only changes the direction of the fire front, but intensifies winds. Stronger winds will carry embers well ahead of the fire front and spread fires with greater speed. |
This is a time of particular fire danger. | This is a time of particular fire danger. |
Just a little more on those school evacuations in north-west NSW and the Upper Hunter. We’ve heard from the education minister, Sarah Mitchell, who said the number of schools now evacuated is nine. The schools were evacuated as a precautionary measure and on the advice of the Rural Fire Service, she said. | Just a little more on those school evacuations in north-west NSW and the Upper Hunter. We’ve heard from the education minister, Sarah Mitchell, who said the number of schools now evacuated is nine. The schools were evacuated as a precautionary measure and on the advice of the Rural Fire Service, she said. |
“Safety comes first – we need to take precaution and evacuate to get children out of there,” Mitchell told the ABC. | “Safety comes first – we need to take precaution and evacuate to get children out of there,” Mitchell told the ABC. |
The schools evacuated were around Gloucester, Stratford and Stroud, north of Newcastle, and Moonbi and Bendemeer, north of Tamworth. | The schools evacuated were around Gloucester, Stratford and Stroud, north of Newcastle, and Moonbi and Bendemeer, north of Tamworth. |
Eight of the schools were primary schools and one was a high school. | Eight of the schools were primary schools and one was a high school. |
“This is unfolding as we speak so we’re just doing what we need to to get them into safe areas,” she said. | “This is unfolding as we speak so we’re just doing what we need to to get them into safe areas,” she said. |