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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2020/jan/02/nsw-fires-live-news-victoria-bushfires-australia-near-south-coast-tourists-latest-updates-
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| Australia fires: NSW state of emergency declared as 17 missing in Victoria bushfires – live | Australia fires: NSW state of emergency declared as 17 missing in Victoria bushfires – live |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| At least nine people have died since Christmas Day, and the RFS is urging people to evacuate the New South Wales south coast before dangerous conditions on the weekend. Follow the live news and latest updates today | At least nine people have died since Christmas Day, and the RFS is urging people to evacuate the New South Wales south coast before dangerous conditions on the weekend. Follow the live news and latest updates today |
| Just in from the RFS, there is a total fire ban for the next two days. Commencing at midnight tonight, it covers all New South Wales local government areas. | |
| No fires may be lit in the open and all fire permits are suspended during a total fire ban. | |
| The NSW RFS has just issued its fourth Leave Zone declaration, this time for the Snowy Monaro region. These declarations are directed towards tourists and/or residents in the areas to say they need to leave before Saturday. | |
| Keep in mind the road chaos at the moment, and exercise some patience – the NSW police said conditions are continuously changing and sections of roads closing and opening periodically as the fire emergency continues. | |
| The four zones are:Snowy Monaro - Tourist Leave ZoneShoalhaven - Leave ZoneBatlow/Wondalga - Leave ZoneSouth Coast - Tourist Leave Zone | |
| A quick roundup of the most serious fires across the states. | |
| In NSW there are no emergency level fires, just three watch and acts. But there are serious concerns over the Dunns Road fire, which has prompted the evacuation of Kosciuszko national park. | |
| In Victoria there are 11 watch and act warnings for fires, predominately in the East Gippsland region. | |
| In South Australia there is one watch and act on Kangaroo Island – that’s the Ravine fire. | |
| In Western Australia there is one emergency warning for a fire at the Balladonia roadhouse in Dundas. That fire is threatening lives and homes. | |
| In Tasmania there are six watch and act warnings issued for fires near Hobart and in the north-east. | |
| Good afternoon everyone. Helen here to take you through the evening. | Good afternoon everyone. Helen here to take you through the evening. |
| The pressing concern at the moment is traffic. Thousands of people have taken to the roads, ordered to get out of the south coast regions before Saturday. But it’s gridlock with road closures, grass fires and other delays. We are getting reports and seeing vision of cars at standstill, with the main pinchpoints seeming to be at Ulladulla to the north and Cooma to the south-west. | The pressing concern at the moment is traffic. Thousands of people have taken to the roads, ordered to get out of the south coast regions before Saturday. But it’s gridlock with road closures, grass fires and other delays. We are getting reports and seeing vision of cars at standstill, with the main pinchpoints seeming to be at Ulladulla to the north and Cooma to the south-west. |
| If you are there and know more, please get in touch. | If you are there and know more, please get in touch. |
| I am going to hand you over to Helen Davidson for the remainder of the evening. | I am going to hand you over to Helen Davidson for the remainder of the evening. |
| I’ll be back with my colleagues tomorrow – take care of you. | I’ll be back with my colleagues tomorrow – take care of you. |
| FFS. NSW police media have just released this statement: | FFS. NSW police media have just released this statement: |
| A man will face court today charged after a fire was allegedly deliberately lit in Sydney’s east yesterday.About 3.30pm (Wednesday 1 January 2020), police were called to a small park in Cox Avenue, Bondi Beach, following reports of a small fire after a brown paper bag filled with dried leaves had allegedly been deliberately lit. | A man will face court today charged after a fire was allegedly deliberately lit in Sydney’s east yesterday.About 3.30pm (Wednesday 1 January 2020), police were called to a small park in Cox Avenue, Bondi Beach, following reports of a small fire after a brown paper bag filled with dried leaves had allegedly been deliberately lit. |
| Officers from Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command attended and were approached by members of the public, who had extinguished the fire and followed a man leaving the scene.Police spoke with the 34-year-old man before searching him and seizing a cigarette lighter. | Officers from Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command attended and were approached by members of the public, who had extinguished the fire and followed a man leaving the scene.Police spoke with the 34-year-old man before searching him and seizing a cigarette lighter. |
| He was taken to Waverley police station and charged with intentionally cause fire and be reckless to its spread. | He was taken to Waverley police station and charged with intentionally cause fire and be reckless to its spread. |
| The Bondi man was refused bail to appear at Parramatta bail court today. | The Bondi man was refused bail to appear at Parramatta bail court today. |
| Our neighbour, Indonesia, is experiencing its worse flooding in a decade as Australia burns. | Our neighbour, Indonesia, is experiencing its worse flooding in a decade as Australia burns. |
| A bushfire emergency has been declared for the outskirts of Hobart. | A bushfire emergency has been declared for the outskirts of Hobart. |
| You can follow along here. | You can follow along here. |
| Lives and homes are in danger. | Lives and homes are in danger. |
| The air quality in Canberra is slowly shutting down businesses | The air quality in Canberra is slowly shutting down businesses |
| And meanwhile | And meanwhile |
| Fuel scarcity remains another big issue for those trying to get through. | Fuel scarcity remains another big issue for those trying to get through. |
| Phil Coorey: | Phil Coorey: |
| Coorey says a lack of information is one of the biggest problems: | Coorey says a lack of information is one of the biggest problems: |
| Phil Coorey says the smoke has followed him the entire trip: | Phil Coorey says the smoke has followed him the entire trip: |
| The Australian Financial Review political editor Phil Coorey is speaking to the ABC about what is happening in the south coast as people attempt to evacuate. | The Australian Financial Review political editor Phil Coorey is speaking to the ABC about what is happening in the south coast as people attempt to evacuate. |
| This has just come through. | This has just come through. |
| Mike Kelly has just had a chat to us to update us on what is happening in his electorate. | Mike Kelly has just had a chat to us to update us on what is happening in his electorate. |
| Evacuations through the electorate of Monaro are just continuing through the Brown Mountain route - which Kelly says is the only one open. | Evacuations through the electorate of Monaro are just continuing through the Brown Mountain route - which Kelly says is the only one open. |
| He says he has been looking at the possibility of setting up an evacuation centre in the ACT or Queanbeyan given that Bega is getting over run. | He says he has been looking at the possibility of setting up an evacuation centre in the ACT or Queanbeyan given that Bega is getting over run. |
| He is looking at stop over capacity for those trying to get through to Victoria - maybe the Queanbeyan showgrounds. | He is looking at stop over capacity for those trying to get through to Victoria - maybe the Queanbeyan showgrounds. |
| “Hopefully what we can do is just keep people moving, because the air quality is appalling at the moment, this is not just a great place for stopping people over.” | “Hopefully what we can do is just keep people moving, because the air quality is appalling at the moment, this is not just a great place for stopping people over.” |
| For residents left in those towns, the advice is still to get to the bigger centres and follow directions. | For residents left in those towns, the advice is still to get to the bigger centres and follow directions. |