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Australia fires live: NSW and Victoria bushfires threaten horrendous day of fire danger - 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
NSW emergency services minister David Elliott is asked if he wants to elaborate on his Facebook post saying his absence inexcusable.
He doesn’t.
Elliott says he has received a briefing and will be supporting the premier and the commissioner throughout the day.
He intends to visit fire lines over the coming days, however he will be unavailable due to a funeral on Monday.
A reporter asks if he intends to stay in the role.
“I came back to step up, not step down,” he replies.
And that’s the end of the media briefing.
Fitzsimmons is asked about a proposal put to the federal government for a funding boost to the National Aerial Firefighting Centre.
He confirms that the federal government is yet to back the proposal – and says that fire authorities need more funding certainty.
“We have had a business case in with the Commonwealth to increase that funding which will be matched by the stats and territories,” he says. “We haven’t seen a positive response to that business case.”
That business case has been with the federal government for 18 months. But he adds:
And Fitzsimmons says that the RFS went to the NSW government and was able to buy its own dedicated air tanker after arrangements were established with the northern hemisphere. NSW is the only state that has been able to do that, he says, and it is able to share its assets with other states.
“We have national coordination arrangements. They work very well, but what we need is certainty around the funding going forward so we can secure better economies of scale and certainty around what we’ve got here and how we’re sharing it going into the future,” he says.
You can read more about the funding proposal in this story by the Age. It is the same proposal that past fire chiefs like Greg Mullins have criticised the government for failing to adopt.
I mentioned to you earlier that the NSW emergency services minister David Elliott is back in the state. He’s been under fire for going on holiday during the crisis.
A reporter asks Berejiklian where Elliott is today. She says he is here at the briefing.
The reporter asks Elliott if he wants to say where he will be for the day.
Berejiklian answers for him. “He will be here.”
Are you glad to have him back?
“Of course,” the premier says.
That map shows the potential for ember attack and, on that point, Fitzsimmons says: “We have experienced in NSW, this season, 12 to 15km fires starting ahead of the main fire front taking hold easily and spreading very, very quickly in advance of the main fire front and they tend to catch up with each other and consume what’s in their path.”
The map we showed you earlier predicted the fire spread. That is the worst case scenario, Fitzsimmons says.
However, he notes that that usually, authorities have a “likely” and a “worst case” scenario.
“Generally speaking over the last five years or so, the most likely generally correlates with what actually happens on the ground.
“What we saw on New Year’s Eve, a lot of the fires were working to the worst case scenario. So a lot of the shaded areas that you’re seeing today around the predictive tools and the modelling that’s derived that product is defaulting to what we’re calling the worst case scenario based on our experience from New Year’s Eve.”
Fitzsimmons is asked about fires just outside the Greater Sydney area. He says of the Green Wattle Creek fire, which is in a national park to the west of the city.
“We have got a prediction on that, that it spreads under the westerlies or particularly under the swing in the wind from around west, north-west through the southerly,” he says.
“There is potential for the fire to break out, cross the dam and move into the western suburbs of Sydney. That fire is burning. It has the potential to come out into more populated areas this afternoon.
“That’s one of our focus fires, of course, but I would say a broader is message be alert, be focused on any new fires today. If you see a new fire today, please report it on 000.”
However, we know there are people have decided to stay. Fitzsimmons says many people have left the vulnerable community of Batlow, west of Canberra.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.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. “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.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 is asked for the key message on evacuating. He says:
Fitzsimmons: “It will be a long and difficult day for everybody.”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.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.“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.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.”“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.
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.
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.
“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 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.
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.
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.