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NSW and Qld fires: NSW fire devastation 'worse than expected', minister says as conditions set to worsen
Cricket ball-sized hail hits Sunshine Coast as other areas of Queensland evacuated from fires
(about 2 hours later)
Searing temperatures, low moisture and strong winds will likely prompt severe fire danger across NSW this week
The hail came as an emergency warning was issued for a large out of control bushfire north of Toowoomba with residents told to evacuate
Searing temperatures into the 40s, combined with strong winds and little moisture in the air will likely prompt widespread severe fire danger across New South Wales this coming week, the Rural Fire Service commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, said on Sunday.
Hail the size of a cricket ball has been reported north of Brisbane as dangerous thunderstorms move across south-east Queensland, but the storms are unlikely to bring much rain or relief for bushfire-ravaged parts of the state, the Bureau of Meteorologist forecaster Rosa Hoff says.
His warning came alongside a bleak assessment from the emergency services minister, David Elliott, of damage from fires which sparked a state of emergency to be declared in NSW a week ago.
It comes as an emergency warning was issued for a large out of control bushfire north of Toowoomba with residents told to evacuate.
“It’s quite clear from the field of operations that we’ve inspected today that the devastation is probably beyond what anybody expected,” Elliott told reporters on a visit to affected areas around Kempsey and Port Macquarie on Sunday.
A severe warning for giant hailstones and destructive winds was issued from Gympie to south of Brisbane. The most dangerous storm was on the Sunshine Coast, where the cricket ball-sized hail was observed.
He was joined by the treasurer, Dominic Perrottet, who announced state government funding of $220,000 to help get communities “up and running back to normal as quickly as possible” while firefighters continue to battle blazes.
Hoff said no storms were expected in the Darling Downs area or the Scenic Rim, where concerning bushfires were continuing to burn.
‘A worsening of conditions’
But strong winds had been detected with gusts of 57km/h recorded at Dalby and 50km/h at Stanthorpe.
Fitzsimmons said there were likely to be “some fairly widespread severe fire dangers” this week as another mass of hot air was drawn down from the centre of the country.
There would be no widespread significant rainfall in areas affected by the thunderstorm but up to 35mm could fall on the Sunshine Coast, Hoff said. Most areas would record just 5mm to 15mm.
“We are expecting to see a worsening of conditions, particularly as we start heading into Tuesday and then continuing through Wednesday and Thursday again,” he said.
Not far away residents west of Brisbane in the Ravensbourne area were being told to evacuate as a large out of control bushfire bore down.
More than 1,500 firefighters were battling blazes from the outskirts of Sydney right up to the Queensland border on Sunday “doing their best to try and secure as much as they can ahead of those worsening conditions”, he added.
An emergency warning had been issued for the blaze, which was part of the Pechey fire responsible for blackening 3,400 hectares in the past five days.
Anxious residents of the Hawkesbury region, north-west of Sydney, were in a “sit and wait” situation, hoping a 119,000ha fire at Gospers Mountain can be contained and doesn’t spread to their homes.
The local mayor, Paul Antonio, said the situation had deteriorated drastically despite a large air tanker, which dumps 15,000 litres in one go, joining the fight.
“People are waiting for this week to be over I think,” the mayor, Barry Calvert, said as people cleared the areas outside their homes and firefighters conducted backburning in a bid to protect properties.
“This is a very difficult situation ... The wind [at my farm] is strong enough to rock my car,” he said on Sunday. “It’s looking very bleak.”
The fire, which was advancing to the north, east and south-east, extended along Perseverance Dam Road, Mount Jockey Road, Horrex Road, Garvey Road, Purtill Road and McQuillan Road.
Antonio said 200 firefighters and 15 aircraft were battling the blaze, along a 38km front.
Across the state, 85 fires were burning but those of most concern were the ones at Pechey, north of Toowoomba, and Moreton Island off Brisbane along with those in the Scenic Rim at Mt Barney, Clumber and Tarome.
Meanwhile, more than 1,500 firefighters were battling blazes from the outskirts of Sydney right up to the Queensland border on Sunday. Firefighters were “doing their best to try and secure as much as they can ahead of those worsening conditions”, the NSW Rural Fire Service commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, said.
On Sunday afternoon there were 56 fires across the state, more than half of which were uncontained, the RFS said.
On Sunday afternoon there were 56 fires across the state, more than half of which were uncontained, the RFS said.
Fire danger ratings are 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.
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.
Meanwhile a driver of a water truck was rushed to hospital on Sunday morning after the vehicle rolled over when he swerved to miss a car in Willawarrin, north-west of Kempsey.
The 44-year-old man, who was not driving an RFS truck, suffered suspected chest injuries in the incident.
Four people have died in NSW bushfires since 8 November and more than 300 homes have been confirmed razed.
More than 100 homes have been damaged while 785 sheds and other outbuildings have been damaged or destroyed.
Nearly 40 schools and other facilities have been impacted.
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, RFS Deputy Commissioner Rob Rogers said.
Thunderstorms bring risk of lightning in Queensland
In Queensland 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 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.”
Across the state 75 fires were burning, but those of most concern were in the Scenic Rim on the NSW border, at Ravensbourne north of Toowoomba and at Thornside east of Gympie.
Thunderstorms, possibly severe, were likely in the south-east 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.
