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NSW and Qld fires: bushfire conditions worsen in Queensland amid some 'relief' in NSW – live NSW and Qld fires: bushfire conditions worsen in Queensland amid some 'relief' in New South Wales – live
(32 minutes later)
Catastrophic fire conditions in New South Wales ease, but dozens of bushfires remain burning with two at emergency level. In Queensland, 60 fires are burning with strong winds and temperatures in mid-30s forecast to make for hazardous conditionsCatastrophic fire conditions in New South Wales ease, but dozens of bushfires remain burning with two at emergency level. In Queensland, 60 fires are burning with strong winds and temperatures in mid-30s forecast to make for hazardous conditions
Russell Irving, the project coordinator of the Minyumai Indigenous Protected Area, has written in with an open letter.
The Minyumai protected area is a 2000 hectare conservation reserve near Woodburn on the north NSW coast. It’s home to endangered animals, provides employment to locals and holds deep cultural significance to the Bundjalung traditional owners.
“Our protected area is currently under direct threat by the Myall Creek fire,” he writes.
“We’ve had fires in previous years which have been controlled and limited in scale due to the annual fuel reduction burns ...These and other fire control measures have become largely ineffectual in the face of the devastating and growing impacts of climate change in the region.
“We are in the grip of a severe drought which has rendered the gullies, waterfalls and creeks bone dry for years. Fuel reduction burns can only rarely be safely conducted due to the shortening winter periods and when fires do occur they are driven by extreme above average temperatures, hot dry winds and low humidity.
“The 10 Bandjalang Aboriginal rangers we employ and their families are at risk of losing their workplace and livelihoods. Many have lost their homes from the nearby Bora Ridge fire and others are suffering ill health from the smoke.
“We (and many of our small scale agricultural neighbours) are at threat of becomingmembers of the rapidly growing number of climate refugees in this country.
“Although we welcome the ‘thoughts and prayers’ of politicians it is not enough...Australians are crying out for action on man made climate change.”
Despite helping to protect his and a few other neighbour’s homes, Col’s neighbour says he feels guilty he wasn’t able to stop the fire tearing through his friend’s property.“I wasn’t sleeping, just lying in bed about midnight hearing the crash of the trees. I heard a big bang and thought it was just another tree but when I came back here in the morning, it was the roar of the house going.”A few days later, he’s still reliving Friday night. It was scary, he said, to watch the speed at which the fire moved up the ridge near his home. “It’s an adrenaline rush, you know, I slept four hours last night and that’s the most I’ve slept in days. I’m tired and I’m aching but I was still up at 5am,” he said.The road into Rainbow Flat is still cut off, and since the fire he says he’s been living off Vegemite sandwiches. Yesterday, though, a friend dropped off some eggs and a slab of beer so he treated himself to six scrambled eggs and “about 10 beers”. “And I’ll back it up again,” he told me. A few days later, people are starting to filter back in but to a very different-looking Rainbow Flat.Leo and Geesje Carter evacuated on Thursday night and drove to Taree. It took them a couple of days to get back. Their home survived, but they were shocked at how close the fire came to their bush-facing property.“Luckily the fence survived, I just finished building the thing,” Leo said.
Col Meredith was one of the few who stayed behind in Rainbow Flat near Taree when fires tore through on Friday night.“My son lives in Singleton, he was saying ‘Dad just go, go into Forster’, I said mate I’m not going anywhere,” he said this morning.Col’s house survived, but his neighbour a few hundred metres up the road wasn’t so lucky. Guardian Australia found him clearing their driveway and watching out for potential looters.
“The roar of the thing on Friday night, it’s like nothing else, believe me. I was here with the firies and had to come up on to the bitumen just to try to breathe for a minute,” he said.
Queensland is bracing for another day of fires on par with those in September, which remarkably damaged pockets of subtropical rainforest and the iconic Binna Burra Lodge.
Yesterday police told the Gold Coast Bulletin that fire had been started by a cigarette discarded by a group of teenagers.
On today of all days it should serve as a reminder that the hot, dry and windy conditions can fuel dangerous fires, but that taking precautions and adhering to fire bans could prevent them breaking out in the first instance.
NSW RFS commissioner Fitzsimmons has just said: “We are mindful that the science is suggesting, and we are experiencing, that fire seasons are starting earlier and are extending longer.”NSW RFS commissioner Fitzsimmons has just said: “We are mindful that the science is suggesting, and we are experiencing, that fire seasons are starting earlier and are extending longer.”
“There is no doubt that this drought is having a profound effect,” he says.“There is no doubt that this drought is having a profound effect,” he says.
When asked about the coming summer, he sounds a word of warning.When asked about the coming summer, he sounds a word of warning.
“The risk is here. The risk is real. We’ve got the worst of the summer, the worst of the season still ahead of us as we head into summer.”“The risk is here. The risk is real. We’ve got the worst of the summer, the worst of the season still ahead of us as we head into summer.”
Fitzsimmons says he has never seen better coordination than yesterday – between emergency services, governments, media and more.Fitzsimmons says he has never seen better coordination than yesterday – between emergency services, governments, media and more.
“I don’t think the coordination, cooperation, integration arrangements have ever been better in this state than what I’ve observed yesterday,” he said.“I don’t think the coordination, cooperation, integration arrangements have ever been better in this state than what I’ve observed yesterday,” he said.
“Unequivocally, yesterday, we saw together all the jurisdictions, the state’s agencies, the community, the media, come together like I’ve never seen before, and we will take a lot of lessons out of that.”“Unequivocally, yesterday, we saw together all the jurisdictions, the state’s agencies, the community, the media, come together like I’ve never seen before, and we will take a lot of lessons out of that.”
Fire and Rescue commissioner Paul Baxter adds that there were 2,000 calls to Triple Zero yesterday.Fire and Rescue commissioner Paul Baxter adds that there were 2,000 calls to Triple Zero yesterday.
He paid tribute to the quick work of agencies.He paid tribute to the quick work of agencies.
“I think that the reports of minimal loss of property, life and injuries, is indicative of the preparations that have been done by all the agencies.“I think that the reports of minimal loss of property, life and injuries, is indicative of the preparations that have been done by all the agencies.
“The fires that we did see occurring in the urban areas, such as the Turramurra incident yesterday, were dealt with really quickly. We threw a weight of response in and a speed of response and that was an incident that showed fire rescue crews, along with RFS crews and Parks and Wildlife crews, working together seamlessly.”“The fires that we did see occurring in the urban areas, such as the Turramurra incident yesterday, were dealt with really quickly. We threw a weight of response in and a speed of response and that was an incident that showed fire rescue crews, along with RFS crews and Parks and Wildlife crews, working together seamlessly.”
Shane Fitzsimmons says there will be hotter, worse conditions next week. And many of the fires burning today will still be burning then.Shane Fitzsimmons says there will be hotter, worse conditions next week. And many of the fires burning today will still be burning then.
“We will not have all these fires contained before then,” he says. “We will not have all these fires contained and locked up for many, many weeks.“We will not have all these fires contained before then,” he says. “We will not have all these fires contained and locked up for many, many weeks.
“Unfortunately, what we need is rain. What we need is meaningful rain. And there is certainly nothing in the forecast for the foreseeable future that’s going to make any discernible difference to the conditions that we are experiencing.”“Unfortunately, what we need is rain. What we need is meaningful rain. And there is certainly nothing in the forecast for the foreseeable future that’s going to make any discernible difference to the conditions that we are experiencing.”
NSW RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons is speaking in Sydney now.NSW RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons is speaking in Sydney now.
He says there have now been an estimated 300 homes destroyed since the start of fire season, after 50 were damaged or lost yesterday.He says there have now been an estimated 300 homes destroyed since the start of fire season, after 50 were damaged or lost yesterday.
There are 17 fires today at watch and act, with none at emergency. But that is “subject to the weather today” and “we could still see some volatility” and changes to that.There are 17 fires today at watch and act, with none at emergency. But that is “subject to the weather today” and “we could still see some volatility” and changes to that.
“The reality is it could have bene a whole lot worse,” he says.“The reality is it could have bene a whole lot worse,” he says.
And in map form:And in map form:
The New England fire area – which includes Glen Innes, Tenterfield, Uralla, Walcha and Armidale – is the only one in NSW rated at severe today. Fires have been raging in those areas for days now.
All other areas, all up the north coast, are at very high.
As the political fingerpointing flared up yesterday, and continues today, read this from Graham Readfearn to get the facts behind the debate around hazard reduction.
The latest figures on the bushfires, via AAP.
In NSW:
83 fires are burning, 50 uncontained.
More than 1.1 million hectares have burned, more than the past three bushfire seasons combined.
The catastrophic fire danger rating has been lowered to “very high” for the Greater Sydney, Hunter and Illawarra/Shoalhaven regions.
Very high fire danger ratings are also in effect for the southern and central ranges and north-western, northern slopes, north coast and far north coast regions.
Armidale is one notch higher, with a fire danger rating of “severe”.
3,000 firefighters deployed or on standby, 80 aircraft at the ready, 400 fire trucks in the field.
21 people were injured – 13 of them firefighters and eight members of the public. None of the injuries were life-threatening.
In Queensland:
61 fires burning ahead of dangerous wind change on Wednesday
Severe fire danger for the south-east coast (including Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast); the Darling Downs and Granite Belt; and the Wide Bay and Burnett region.
Temperatures near some fire grounds to reach 6C to 8C above average
The Cobraball fire near Yeppoon continues to burn out of control
State of fire emergency in force across 42 local government areas, total ban on outdoor fires and activities that can spark fires.
At least 50 homes were damaged or destroyed yesterday in NSW, the RFS has confirmed.
In South Australia overnight, the fire near Port Lincoln was also contained. It had earlier been at emergency alert on Monday evening.
SA Country Fire Service said: “Fire activity and weather conditions on the fireground have abated with decreasing winds, rising relative humidity and low temperatures continuing to aid firefighting efforts.”
But hot spots and burning trees are expected to burn for several days.
In Western Australia an emergency fire that broke out on the outskirts of Perth was also contained and downgraded yesterday afternoon.
The fire in Bullsbrook in the City of Swan flared up quickly and went to emergency alert as it raced towards homes. But in the evening it was downgraded and contained with no homes destroyed. Residents are still being advised to remain vigilant.
The Spicers Peak Lodge in Queensland, which has a leave now warning in place, has already been evacuated, AAP reports.
No guests stayed at the lodge overnight and staff were doorknocked early on Wednesday. The Spicers Peak fire is moving quickly and is threatening all buildings nearby.
Meanwhile other parts of the Scenic Rim in Queensland are also facing fires. Local mayor Greg Christensen told ABC radio he fears another black day for his community.
“It has the potential to be, absolutely, because of the severity of the conditions and the number of fire fronts,” he said.
On Tuesday, inmates from the low-security Palen Creek correctional centre, 100km south-east of the lodge, were evacuated to another prison.
For Queensland today, a dramatic wind change to come later on has the potential to shift fire fronts and cause more uncertainty. Conditions are worse today than yesterday, and more than 60 fires are currently burning across the state.
The NSW RFS has confirmed that as of 8.18am AEDT, there are no fires at emergency warning.
Yesterday, there were 19 different fires at emergency, and at its peak, 16 at the same time.
Conditions remain difficult, and fires unpredictable today.
The RFS tweet above has a small typo – it should say “advice or watch and act” rather than “advice or emergency”. The map and current website confirms that there are none at emergency.
And here is Rodney Smith and his dog Bundy in the bowling club, safe and waiting to go home.
The Tuncurry bowling club on Tuesday night was where residents of the twin towns of Forster-Tuncurry, 35km from Taree, evacuated.
My colleague Michael McGowan was there, speaking to the 80 or so people who had gathered, some of them holding “dogs, birds, cats and goldfish”.
“We’re a bit of a menagerie at the moment and it looks a bit like Noah’s ark out the back,” said the manager, Terry Green.
Police also believe it is possible that the fire in Turramurra was deliberately lit.
AAP report that police have set up a crime scene in the upper north shore suburb as they work to establish the cause of the blaze.
Officers were seen searching a car and speaking to two young males at Canoon Road, they reported.
Yesterday, a nearby fire at Kissing Point Road was also briefly at emergency level but was quickly brought under control and downgraded to advice.