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| Australia fires live: Canberra airport closed as bushfires flare up on NSW south coast – latest updates | Australia fires live: Canberra airport closed as bushfires flare up on NSW south coast – latest updates |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Residents near a bushfire south of Canberra’s airport told to seek shelter as extreme temperatures fan bushfires across New South Wales. Follow the latest news and live updates | Residents near a bushfire south of Canberra’s airport told to seek shelter as extreme temperatures fan bushfires across New South Wales. Follow the latest news and live updates |
| There are several road closures across the ACT as a result of the fire. | |
| From the ACT: | |
| The conditions in Canberra are pretty abysmal. | |
| Video from the Brindabella Business Park, which was threatened by the Pialligo fire, shows the strong winds ripping through the trees and thick blankets of smoke. The business park sits right next to Canberra airport and hosts offices for a number of government departments and big corporate accounting firms Deloitte and KPMG. | |
| It’s understood that a number of office workers have been treated for smoke inhalation after being evacuated from their buildings. The speed of the fire had caused considerable concern, and spot fires are still being put out. | |
| Warnings have also been issued for Oaks Estate, a relatively isolated suburb near the ACT-NSW border. | |
| Oaks Estate is the most disadvantaged suburb in Canberra and locals have accused the government of treating it as a “leper colony” and creating “disadvantage by design” by leaving “vulnerable men with complex mental health and drug problems” in the suburb’s ageing public housing complexes without proper access to the rest of the city. | |
| There is no direct bus line between Oaks Estate and Canberra. | |
| An emergency warning has been issued for a fire burning in Glen Allen in NSW. People in New Line Road and Creewah Road have been advised to seek shelter. | |
| A dust storm has just hit Mildura, too. | |
| Chief of defence force Angus Campbell says that reservists will transition from full-time service on 1 February ahead of the order being revoked on 7 February.He said reservists typically would have served for 28 days full-time continuously.“I want to emphasise to you all, please, that you should see this as an appropriate transition in the form of service being invited of our reserve component, not a change to the effort being offered by the Australian defence force to assist in this time of national bushfire concern.” | |
| He said the ADF was helping with the fires in Canberra at the moment and aircraft would be available if needed. | |
| The Australian Open has been suspended due to the brown rain messing up the courts in Melbourne. | The Australian Open has been suspended due to the brown rain messing up the courts in Melbourne. |
| The Box Hill fire has been reduced to watch and act level. | The Box Hill fire has been reduced to watch and act level. |
| There has also been a lot of criticism in the past few days over whether the charities people have donated to in response to the bushfire crisis have been getting that money out to the victims of the fires. | There has also been a lot of criticism in the past few days over whether the charities people have donated to in response to the bushfire crisis have been getting that money out to the victims of the fires. |
| Morrison said the Salvation Army, the Red Cross and St Vincent de Paul remain “trusted, respected and good-hearted”, but he said he heard the charities need more support to get the millions of dollars out to those affected. He said the federal government is building a “database capability” to make it easier for charities to connect with the victims of the fires, and the state governments would also provide assistance to getting funds out to those who need it. | Morrison said the Salvation Army, the Red Cross and St Vincent de Paul remain “trusted, respected and good-hearted”, but he said he heard the charities need more support to get the millions of dollars out to those affected. He said the federal government is building a “database capability” to make it easier for charities to connect with the victims of the fires, and the state governments would also provide assistance to getting funds out to those who need it. |
| In a press conference, prime minister Scott Morrison said that the compulsory callout for the ADF reservists in response to the bushfire will expire on 7 February, 28 days since the callout was made. | In a press conference, prime minister Scott Morrison said that the compulsory callout for the ADF reservists in response to the bushfire will expire on 7 February, 28 days since the callout was made. |
| “Now, I want to stress absolutely that this does not mean, in any way, shape or form, that you’re going to see any significant change at all in the level of the defence force deployment to support the recovery effort with these bushfires,” he said. | “Now, I want to stress absolutely that this does not mean, in any way, shape or form, that you’re going to see any significant change at all in the level of the defence force deployment to support the recovery effort with these bushfires,” he said. |
| “We are just simply moving into a non-compulsory callout phase for reservists.” | “We are just simply moving into a non-compulsory callout phase for reservists.” |
| He said the power to call them out remains there, if needed in the future, and defence will move to the recovery and rebuilding efforts. | He said the power to call them out remains there, if needed in the future, and defence will move to the recovery and rebuilding efforts. |
| He said the number of personnel deployed went from 890 in December to 6,500 this month. | He said the number of personnel deployed went from 890 in December to 6,500 this month. |
| An emergency warning has been issued for a fire on Badja Forest Road, Countegany in the Snowy region. | An emergency warning has been issued for a fire on Badja Forest Road, Countegany in the Snowy region. |
| If you want some background on why the fire conditions have worsened in New South Wales and the ACT today, and why it’s a bit calmer in Victoria (aside from the brown rain in Melbourne) you can read a piece I wrote earlier here. | If you want some background on why the fire conditions have worsened in New South Wales and the ACT today, and why it’s a bit calmer in Victoria (aside from the brown rain in Melbourne) you can read a piece I wrote earlier here. |
| People in Brindabella business park in the ACT are being advised to stay where they are. It is safe there. | People in Brindabella business park in the ACT are being advised to stay where they are. It is safe there. |
| In New South Wales, there are five fires at emergency warning level, and are listed as out of control. They are: | In New South Wales, there are five fires at emergency warning level, and are listed as out of control. They are: |
| Adaminaby Complex in the Snowy region | Adaminaby Complex in the Snowy region |
| Big Jack Mountain Rd, Rocky Hall in the Bega Valley area | Big Jack Mountain Rd, Rocky Hall in the Bega Valley area |
| Clyde Mountain fire in the Eurobodalla region | Clyde Mountain fire in the Eurobodalla region |
| Janpieter Rd Box Hill | Janpieter Rd Box Hill |
| Piallago avenue grass fire in Fairbarn near the ACT. | Piallago avenue grass fire in Fairbarn near the ACT. |
| A further five fires are at watch and act stage. | A further five fires are at watch and act stage. |
| In Victoria, where conditions are cooler, just one fire is at watch and act level, the Buldah fire in East Gippsland. | In Victoria, where conditions are cooler, just one fire is at watch and act level, the Buldah fire in East Gippsland. |
| Canberra airport is closed and had been holding flights in and out of the nation’s capital on Thursday as emergency services issued an emergency warning for a bushfire near Beard, Oaks Estate and West Queanbeyan. | Canberra airport is closed and had been holding flights in and out of the nation’s capital on Thursday as emergency services issued an emergency warning for a bushfire near Beard, Oaks Estate and West Queanbeyan. |
| Residents have been advised to seek shelter. | Residents have been advised to seek shelter. |
| “The fire may pose a threat to all lives directly in its path. People in these suburbs are in danger and need to seek immediate shelter as the fire approaches,” the ACT emergency services agency said. | “The fire may pose a threat to all lives directly in its path. People in these suburbs are in danger and need to seek immediate shelter as the fire approaches,” the ACT emergency services agency said. |
| The fire started on Wednesday but strong winds and high temperatures caused the situation to deteriorate. | The fire started on Wednesday but strong winds and high temperatures caused the situation to deteriorate. |
| Canberra airport closed in the wake of the fires and has said it is holding flights in order to facilitate aerial firefighting efforts. | Canberra airport closed in the wake of the fires and has said it is holding flights in order to facilitate aerial firefighting efforts. |
| A total fire ban has been issued for the territory for Thursday, with a number of fires burning, including a second fire near the airport in the suburb of Pialligo that is at watch and act level, and burning trees near Monash. | A total fire ban has been issued for the territory for Thursday, with a number of fires burning, including a second fire near the airport in the suburb of Pialligo that is at watch and act level, and burning trees near Monash. |