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NSW and Qld fires: crews backburn in NSW as severe conditions are forecast NSW and Qld fires: crews backburn in NSW as Queensland braces for challenging conditions
(about 3 hours later)
RFS deputy commissioner Rob Rogers says hot and dry conditions on Tuesday will again prove difficult as fires continue to rage in NSW South-east Queensland is expecting dry, gusty and erratic winds together with thunderstorms, bringing the risk of new fires
Firefighters in NSW have spent the night backburning in a bid to protect properties as the danger rating once again hits severe for parts of the state. There may be times on Sunday afternoon when firefighters won’t be able to get in front of a fire burning north of Toowoomba.
Crews may be pulled back from the fire-front to focus on protecting homes and property, for their own safety, the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services incident controller, acting inspector John Welke, said.
The situation was a long way from over, with Welke expecting the fire in that region could continue for another week.
“The fire will move and we will struggle with it today,” he said. “Today is going to be an incredibly challenging day for us.”
Just one structure, a shed, was reported damaged in the early stages of the fire on Wednesday, he told a community briefing on Sunday.
He attributed the lack of any other reported property loss as testament to fire crews who have had “some very challenging days”.
Across the state 75 fires were burning, but those of most concern were in the Scenic Rim on the New South Wales border, at Ravensbourne north of Toowoomba and at Thornside east of Gympie.
Thunderstorms, possibly severe, were likely in the southeast on Sunday afternoon, bringing the risk of lightning that could ignite new fires, together with gusty and erratic winds, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
The fire danger forecast for the Darling Downs and Granite Belt was extreme, while the central highlands and coalfields, Maranoa and Warrego, and south-east coast districts were facing a severe fire danger.
A fire burning on Moreton Island was affecting the township of Cowan Cowan and travelling south towards Ben Ewa but was not threatening the Tangalooma area, QFES said. Waterbombing aircraft and ground crews were fighting the fire.
The Scenic Rim mayor, Greg Christensen, feared that only rain would stop the fire and there was little forecast.
“Everyone needs to be on their toes,” he said. “At the moment these fires [in the Scenic Rim] will still be running next weekend without any rain.”
About 50 Scenic Rim farmers had already lost up to 50km of fencing and fodder in the fires, Christensen said.
Many of the farmers, who are also volunteer firefighters, are exhausted from battling bushfires that first hit the region in September.
Mountainous terrain like the Mount Barney national park brought with it significant challenges for firefighting.
QFES has tried to give some relief to tired volunteers, with firefighters from Tasmania and the Northern Territory supporting local staff.
NSW fire crews backburn to protect homes
Meanwhile, firefighters in NSW have spent the night backburning in a bid to protect properties as the danger rating once again hits severe for parts of the state.
More than 50 fires continued to burn on Sunday, with almost 30 of those uncontained, the Rural Fire Service said.More than 50 fires continued to burn on Sunday, with almost 30 of those uncontained, the Rural Fire Service said.
Fire danger ratings are severe in the far north coast, New England, the northern slopes and northwestern regions, and very high in the Greater Sydney, Greater Hunter, Central Ranges and North Coast regions. Fire danger ratings were severe in the far north coast, New England, the northern slopes and north-western regions, and very high in the greater Sydney, greater Hunter, central ranges and north coast regions.
RFS Deputy Commissioner Rob Rogers said crews at the sprawling Gospers Mountain blaze on Sydney’s northwestern outskirts had been burning around homes to protect them from the continuing blaze. The RFS deputy commissioner, Rob Rogers, said crews at the sprawling Gospers Mountain blaze on Sydney’s north-western outskirts had been burning around homes to protect them from the continuing blaze.
“It’s not directly affecting properties right now but we’ve been doing a lot of burning around homes,” he told ABC News.“It’s not directly affecting properties right now but we’ve been doing a lot of burning around homes,” he told ABC News.
“We are concerned about the potential for that fire when worsening weather occurs on Tuesday.”“We are concerned about the potential for that fire when worsening weather occurs on Tuesday.”
The fire remained at a watch and act level on Sunday morning, alongside the Woodenbong fire near the Queensland border and the Bora Ridge fire southeast of Casino.The fire remained at a watch and act level on Sunday morning, alongside the Woodenbong fire near the Queensland border and the Bora Ridge fire southeast of Casino.
Rogers reiterated the warning that there is no end in sight for bushfires which have hit hard and early this season.Rogers reiterated the warning that there is no end in sight for bushfires which have hit hard and early this season.
“I think it’s fair to stay that there’s going to be a long time spent dealing with these fires and it’s not going to be over quickly unless we get a lot of rain,” he said. Tuesday is expected to see temperatures nearing 40C in the Hunter region, with the mid-north coast getting into the high 30s and the northern tablelands experiencing the low 30s – all amid continued dry conditions.
Tuesday is expected to see temperatures nearing 40C in the Hunter region, with the mid north coast getting into the high 30s and the northern tablelands experiencing the low 30s – all amid continued dry conditions. NSW firefighters, especially those in the state’s north who have been fighting fires for weeks, will be bolstered by crews from the south and west of NSW, as well as interstate crews and help from New Zealand, Rogers said.
Exhausted firefighters, especially those in the state’s north who have been fighting fires for weeks, will be bolstered by crews from the south and west of NSW, as well as interstate crews and help from New Zealand, Rogers said. NSW government boosts bushfire aid by $200,000
NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet and minister for police and emergency services David Elliott are due to visit bushfire-affected communities in the north of the state on Sunday where it is expected an announcement about new funding for recovery support for residents and local councils will be made. More than $200,000 has been pledged by the NSW government to support areas of the state devastated by the bushfires as they begin a major clean-up and recovery.
Total fire bans are in place for five NSW regions on Sunday – the Greater Hunter, far north coast, New England, northern slopes and north western. Volunteer organisation BlazeAid will get $100,000 for fencing and materials, while $120,000 will be provided to local councils, the state treasury department said.
The RFS has said 303 homes had been confirmed razed since 8 November. The treasurer, Dominic Perrottet, and the police and emergency services minister, David Elliott, visited affected areas around Kempsey and Port Macquarie on Sunday.
More than 100 homes have been damaged while 785 sheds and other outbuildings have been damaged or destroyed. It is hoped the funding can help people in hard-hit areas start to pick up the pieces after a week which saw a state of emergency declared across NSW and “catastrophic” warnings issued.
Nearly 40 schools and other facilities have been impacted. “While our combat agencies continue to work tirelessly to contain these fires, we know that many kilometres of fencing has been destroyed and there is a large amount of debris to be cleared,” Perrottet said.
Meanwhile, firefighters are braced for extreme fire conditions in parts of Queensland, especially in the Darling Downs and Granite Belt. “This extra funding will assist communities devastated by bushfires here in northern NSW begin the recovery process.”
Nearly 70 fires are burning across the state on Sunday morning. BlazeAid has base camps in Casino, Tenterfield, Ewingar and Ebor and the department said it’s considering locations to support fire-hit communities in the mid-north coast, such as Nymboida, Wingham and Nabiac.
An emergency warning in place for Ravensbourne, north of Toowoomba had been downgraded overnight but prepare-to-leave warnings were still in place for fires in the Scenic Rim. The state government said it had already committed $160,000 to affected local councils, before Sunday’s announcement.
Residents of the town of Cowan Cowan on Moreton Island were told to leave on Saturday after a fire broke out, reportedly caused by lightning. The federal government said it had paid $1,695,600 in support to people in NSW and Queensland in the past week.
The fire had burned around the Cowan Cowan township and was heading north towards Bulwer. Some 1,320 claims have been processed across affected regions of the two states since Sunday, the Department of Human Services said.
By early on Sunday properties were not under threat and fire crews continued to strengthen containment lines.
Severe conditions are also expected in the Southeast Coast area, the Maranoa and Warrego district and the Central Highlands and Coalfields region from Emerald and south to the Carnarvon Ranges.
Conditions should ease on Monday before worsening by Wednesday.