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Australia fires live: NSW and Victoria bushfires threaten horrendous day of fire danger - latest - live Australia fires live: NSW and Victoria bushfires threaten horrendous day of fire danger - live
(32 minutes later)
New South Wales and Victorian fire chiefs warn Saturday’s conditions may be the worst of the entire bushfire season, as thousands flee threatened townsNew South Wales and Victorian fire chiefs warn Saturday’s conditions may be the worst of the entire bushfire season, as thousands flee threatened towns
The NSW RFS has issued a map showing how they expect the fires to spread today. It gives you a sense of why they were so keen for people to evacuate over today. However, we know there are people have decided to stay. Fitzsimmons says many people have left the vulnerable community of Batlow, west of Canberra.
But about 40 people have stayed, he says, according to the last figure he’s seen.
“They are in the town centre and if Batlow gets impacted, they will be in the town centre with the local Fire Brigades,” he says.
Those on the coast will head to the beach or to evacuation centres, he says.
Fitzsimmons is asked for the key message on evacuating. He says:
Fitzsimmons: “It will be a long and difficult day for everybody.”
NSW RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons says the concern is that new fires will start under the hot, dry and windy conditions. More than 100 are already burning in NSW.
“We will see westerly winds, northerly winds turning westerly winds throughout the morning and throughout most of the day, before we see a fairly volatile southerly change moving up the coast sometime late this afternoon and getting to places like Sydney, not until late tonight,” he says.
Temperatures will climb into the high 30s and early 40s about 11am. A southerly change will set in later in the afternoon.
“But whatever the case, we’re going to have a long day dominated by hot temperatures, dry atmosphere and winds coming out of the ranges. We are talking 40, 50, gusting to 70km/h from the north-west and the southerly change that’s coming through.”
Berejiklian says the major road networks remain open, meaning there is a short window this morning for people who have not yet evacuated to get out of the area.
“But we can’t guarantee that beyond the next few hours,” she says.
The premier thanks what she says could be “tens of thousands” who have already chosen to evacuate.
The NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian has started speaking in Sydney.
She is pleased to say “we’ve never been as prepared as we are today for the onslaught we’re likely to face due to the deteriorating conditions”.
The premier says there will be more than 3,000 firefighters, including 31 strike teams which will be located indifferent parts of NSW.
Good news from Victoria. The first group of evacuees from Mallacoota, in the state’s far east, have made it to shore in Hastings in the Western Port bay. Hundreds more will arrive on the massive ship HMAS Choules today.
Good morning from Jindabyne, at the edge of Kosciuszko National Park in the state’s Snowy mountains. This town is a mecca for the Australian ski season in the winter, but today it’s right on the edge of what the Rural Fire Service predicts could be a devastating day of fires throughout the region.
I just spoke to Mark, a caretaker at one of the retreats in the national park. He evacuated on New Year’s Eve and has been sitting tight ever since. Now, like a lot of people in Jindabyne, he’s worried about how safe he is here. Yesterday RFS officials held a public meeting in town and told residents – especially from closer to the mountains – that they couldn’t guarantee they would be able to respond if fire threatened their homes. They’re purely focused on containment at this point.
“We were thinking of leaving but then you might get stuck on the road, and where do you go anyway?” he says.
The crews are stretched thinly, too. A bunch of the RFS volunteers staying at the same motel as me are being sent to Thredbo today, but there are two major fires burning at Watch and Act level in the national park already this morning and a lot of territory to cover.
About 100,000 people have been evacuated from East Gippsland and Victoria’s north-east ahead of today.
Late on Thursday, the premier Daniel Andrews declared a state of disaster in Victoria.
This map distributed by authorities shows the area already burnt (shaded areas) and the potential impact area (within the bold black line) until midnight tonight.
“The potential impact area identifies an area that is likely to be impacted by potential fire fronts moving into communities, spot fires and ember attacks, thick smoke or fire closing major roads and isolating communities,” authorities say.
The NSW RFS has issued a map showing how they expect the fires to spread today. It gives you a sense of why they were so keen for people to evacuate today.
It shows the serious risk of ember attack along the coast, from Jervis Bay, through Ulladulla and Bateman’s Bay, and down to Narooma, where fires are currently burning.It shows the serious risk of ember attack along the coast, from Jervis Bay, through Ulladulla and Bateman’s Bay, and down to Narooma, where fires are currently burning.
You’ll note that the large patch of red on the left covers the Kosciuszko national park, which has also been evacuated.
An unfortunate sidebar to the horrific scenes we’ve seen in bushfire-ravaged communities across the south-east has been the political response to the crisis.An unfortunate sidebar to the horrific scenes we’ve seen in bushfire-ravaged communities across the south-east has been the political response to the crisis.
David Elliott, the NSW emergency services minister, was heavily criticised after he jetted off to Europe for a holiday last month as much of the state was on fire.David Elliott, the NSW emergency services minister, was heavily criticised after he jetted off to Europe for a holiday last month as much of the state was on fire.
He returned last night and has addressed the controversy in a Facebook post.He returned last night and has addressed the controversy in a Facebook post.
“My absence over the last week was inexcusable,” Elliott said.“My absence over the last week was inexcusable,” Elliott said.
“I should have put my RFS family first and foremost given the current conditions (even my own family acknowledge that) and now it’s time to get back to work.”“I should have put my RFS family first and foremost given the current conditions (even my own family acknowledge that) and now it’s time to get back to work.”
I suspect this won’t be the last you’ll read about this.I suspect this won’t be the last you’ll read about this.
Here’s an update from the NSW RFS overnight. That’s 60 fires burning out of control. And conditions are expected to deteriorate significantly today.Here’s an update from the NSW RFS overnight. That’s 60 fires burning out of control. And conditions are expected to deteriorate significantly today.
We’ll be able to give you more information when the NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian and emergency services chiefs front the media in the next few minutes.We’ll be able to give you more information when the NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian and emergency services chiefs front the media in the next few minutes.
Good morning. I’m Luke Henriques-Gomes. Thanks for joining us on what is expected to be one of the worst days of the bushfire season so far.Good morning. I’m Luke Henriques-Gomes. Thanks for joining us on what is expected to be one of the worst days of the bushfire season so far.
Thousands of people have been ordered to evacuated communities throughout the east coast, from Batemans Bay in NSW to the Victorian region of East Gippsland. Thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate communities throughout the east coast, from Batemans Bay in NSW to the Victorian region of East Gippsland.
As always we’ll be with you throughout the day to bring the latest news and developments.As always we’ll be with you throughout the day to bring the latest news and developments.