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/13/nsw-fires-qld-bushfires-queensland-australia-new-south-wales-rural-fire-live-news-latest-updates-queensland
The article has changed 26 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 24 | Version 25 |
|---|---|
| Water-bombing helicopter crash-lands at bushfire west of Brisbane – as it happened | |
| (about 13 hours later) | |
| Catastrophic fire conditions in New South Wales ease, but dozens of Australian bushfires remain burning. In Queensland, 80 fires are burning, with strong winds and temperatures in mid-30s forecast to make for hazardous conditions on Australia’s east coast. This blog has now closed | Catastrophic fire conditions in New South Wales ease, but dozens of Australian bushfires remain burning. In Queensland, 80 fires are burning, with strong winds and temperatures in mid-30s forecast to make for hazardous conditions on Australia’s east coast. This blog has now closed |
| We are closing the blog for now. Here is the situation as it currently stands. | We are closing the blog for now. Here is the situation as it currently stands. |
| In Queensland: | In Queensland: |
| There were 80 active fires. | There were 80 active fires. |
| Leave immediately and leave now alerts had been issued at locations including Kinkuna Waters, Pechey, Buxton, Woodgate/Walkers Point Road, Kilkivan and Noosa North Shore. | Leave immediately and leave now alerts had been issued at locations including Kinkuna Waters, Pechey, Buxton, Woodgate/Walkers Point Road, Kilkivan and Noosa North Shore. |
| There were 293 vehicles across all of the fires around the state. | There were 293 vehicles across all of the fires around the state. |
| 14 homes had been destroyed. | 14 homes had been destroyed. |
| 100 interstate and international personnel had arrived in the state to assist. | 100 interstate and international personnel had arrived in the state to assist. |
| Very high to severe conditions were expected to persist across Queensland. Conditions may ease in some areas on Thursday but severe fire danger was expected again into the weekend. | Very high to severe conditions were expected to persist across Queensland. Conditions may ease in some areas on Thursday but severe fire danger was expected again into the weekend. |
| In New South Wales: | In New South Wales: |
| There were 76 active fires. | There were 76 active fires. |
| None were currently at emergency warning level, most were at watch and act or advice level. | None were currently at emergency warning level, most were at watch and act or advice level. |
| Conditions eased on Wednesday after the catastrophic and extreme fire danger ratings on Tuesday. | Conditions eased on Wednesday after the catastrophic and extreme fire danger ratings on Tuesday. |
| Thursday was forecast to bring very high fire danger across much of the state, as was Friday, with potentially severe fire danger on Friday in the greater Hunter region. | Thursday was forecast to bring very high fire danger across much of the state, as was Friday, with potentially severe fire danger on Friday in the greater Hunter region. |
| The very high fire danger being experienced in the north-east of the state was expected to continue for the rest of the week. | The very high fire danger being experienced in the north-east of the state was expected to continue for the rest of the week. |
| The Rural Fire Service commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, said severe conditions forecast for the weekend would be followed by another burst of hot air next week, meaning crews “simply aren’t going to get the upper hand on all of these fires”. | The Rural Fire Service commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, said severe conditions forecast for the weekend would be followed by another burst of hot air next week, meaning crews “simply aren’t going to get the upper hand on all of these fires”. |
| In Western Australia: | In Western Australia: |
| One fire was at emergency warning level at Drummond Cove in Geraldton. | One fire was at emergency warning level at Drummond Cove in Geraldton. |
| A second fire, the Utakarra fire in Geraldton had been downgraded to watch and act. | A second fire, the Utakarra fire in Geraldton had been downgraded to watch and act. |
| AAP was reporting that two homes had been destroyed and two homes had been damaged in Geraldton. | AAP was reporting that two homes had been destroyed and two homes had been damaged in Geraldton. |
| AAP has this on the fire at Noosa North Shore: | AAP has this on the fire at Noosa North Shore: |
| Another alert from Queensland: Buxton, leave immediately. | Another alert from Queensland: Buxton, leave immediately. |
| From AAP: | From AAP: |
| Kinkuna Waters: Leave now | Kinkuna Waters: Leave now |
| Some more from the Elands, NSW resident Susie Russell, who has highlighted a problem some residents of other rural areas have also spoken to Guardian Australia about this week. | Some more from the Elands, NSW resident Susie Russell, who has highlighted a problem some residents of other rural areas have also spoken to Guardian Australia about this week. |
| She says it has been very difficult to get timely information in and out of Elands about the fire situation. | She says it has been very difficult to get timely information in and out of Elands about the fire situation. |
| A phone tower was recently installed to bring communication to the town, but it’s been down since Friday. Residents who remain in Elands have been going to a single spot where they can get phone reception from another point on the coast. | A phone tower was recently installed to bring communication to the town, but it’s been down since Friday. Residents who remain in Elands have been going to a single spot where they can get phone reception from another point on the coast. |
| Another resident, Jarra Hicks, told Guardian Australia people had doorknocked on Monday to alert friends and family of the need to evacuate. | Another resident, Jarra Hicks, told Guardian Australia people had doorknocked on Monday to alert friends and family of the need to evacuate. |
| Residents have been trying to highlight the need for a generator. | Residents have been trying to highlight the need for a generator. |
| “They could bring in a generator to power the tower instead of us all having to drive around like crazy or ring triple zero to find out what’s going on,” Russell says. | “They could bring in a generator to power the tower instead of us all having to drive around like crazy or ring triple zero to find out what’s going on,” Russell says. |
| “That would be one thing they could do to make this community safer. That would be one practical thing they could do tomorrow.” | “That would be one thing they could do to make this community safer. That would be one practical thing they could do tomorrow.” |
| The emergency warning for the southern part of the suburb of Utakarra in Geraldton, Western Australia remains in place. | The emergency warning for the southern part of the suburb of Utakarra in Geraldton, Western Australia remains in place. |
| An update from Elands in northern NSW from resident Susie Russell. | An update from Elands in northern NSW from resident Susie Russell. |
| Most of the village was evacuated on Monday night, but Russell is among a small group of residents who chose to stay and defend property. The town has a small volunteer fire crew that has been battling multiple fires, including the Rumba Dump fire. | Most of the village was evacuated on Monday night, but Russell is among a small group of residents who chose to stay and defend property. The town has a small volunteer fire crew that has been battling multiple fires, including the Rumba Dump fire. |
| She says the fires are being controlled, but the threat remains. | She says the fires are being controlled, but the threat remains. |
| “We dodged a bullet last night,” Russell says. | “We dodged a bullet last night,” Russell says. |
| “The southerly wasn’t as strong as we feared. Our magnificent fire captain got permission to do a backburn, which worked really well. | “The southerly wasn’t as strong as we feared. Our magnificent fire captain got permission to do a backburn, which worked really well. |
| “The 15 houses that would have otherwise gone up in smoke are still standing strong.” | “The 15 houses that would have otherwise gone up in smoke are still standing strong.” |
| Elands is in steep country and fires are making their way along the tops of the ridges, Russell says. | Elands is in steep country and fires are making their way along the tops of the ridges, Russell says. |
| It’s usually very green as well, but at a time of year when they would normally have had more than a metre of rainfall, they’ve had less than 500mm. | It’s usually very green as well, but at a time of year when they would normally have had more than a metre of rainfall, they’ve had less than 500mm. |
| “The country is just really, really in trouble. Everything around here looks like it’s going to burn and there’s no rain in sight,” Russell says. | “The country is just really, really in trouble. Everything around here looks like it’s going to burn and there’s no rain in sight,” Russell says. |
| Some more on the Pechey fire from the QFES Facebook page: | Some more on the Pechey fire from the QFES Facebook page: |
| You can find the full post here. | You can find the full post here. |
| Another alert for the Pechey fire in Queensland. Leave immediately. | Another alert for the Pechey fire in Queensland. Leave immediately. |
| Conditions have eased at the Hillville Road fire in NSW. The fire has been downgraded to watch and act. | Conditions have eased at the Hillville Road fire in NSW. The fire has been downgraded to watch and act. |
| There have been a rising number of “leave now” or “leave immediately” warnings in Queensland in the last hour: | There have been a rising number of “leave now” or “leave immediately” warnings in Queensland in the last hour: |
| Kilkivan | Kilkivan |
| Noosa North Shore | Noosa North Shore |
| Buxton (part of Woodgate/Walkers Point fire) | Buxton (part of Woodgate/Walkers Point fire) |
| Pechey (near Hampton) | Pechey (near Hampton) |
| Woodgate/Walkers Point Road | Woodgate/Walkers Point Road |
| Kinkuna Waters (part of Woodgate/Walkers Point Road fire) | Kinkuna Waters (part of Woodgate/Walkers Point Road fire) |
| Woodgate/Walkers Point Road (south of Bundaberg) grass fire | Woodgate/Walkers Point Road (south of Bundaberg) grass fire |
| You can find the full details of each warning here on the QFES Facebook page. | You can find the full details of each warning here on the QFES Facebook page. |
| Queensland firefighters say the Kilkivan fire could reach Thornside Road and Upper Thornside Road soon. | Queensland firefighters say the Kilkivan fire could reach Thornside Road and Upper Thornside Road soon. |