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| Australia fires live: three people dead in NSW air tanker crash as bushfires close Canberra airport - latest updates | Australia fires live: three people dead in NSW air tanker crash as bushfires close Canberra airport - 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 |
| Three US residents have died in NSW when a C-130 water bombing aeroplane crashed today. | |
| Canberra Airport has been closed, and parts of the ACT choked with toxic black smoke, due to the bushfires currently burning there. Thankfully, the Beard fire has been downgraded to “watch and act”. | |
| However, the ACT Emergency Services Agency website is still down. Emergency information can be found on their social media accounts, or via ABC local radio. | |
| People in NSW and the ACT have been asked to conserve energy until 8pm tonight because of pressure “extreme weather” is taking on the grid. Energy-saving measures include not setting your air-conditioner above 24 degrees celsius, and turning off unnecessary appliances. | |
| There are currently 3 fires in NSW at emergency level. | |
| In Victoria, Melbourne has been blanketed in brown rain and play at the Australian Open has been pushed back due to the weather. | |
| Government buildings in Canberra are being told to turn down the air-con to help ease the load on the grid in NSW and the ACT. | |
| Public servants were told that “extreme weather conditions” necessitated the power-saving measures be put in place until 7pm tonight. This includes: | |
| Increasing temperature settings | |
| Turning off unused equipment and lighting | |
| Closing blinds to keep rooms cooler | |
| Encouraging staff to continue these practices once they leave work. | |
| Good news out of Canberra. The Beard fire has been downgraded from emergency alert to watch and act status. Residents in the suburbs of Beard, Oaks Estate, and Crestwood are now being advised to stay indoors to avoid hazardous smoke and to avoid the area if they’re not already there. Those in Pialligo and the Brindabella Business Park should monitor conditions, stay up-to-date, and follow police directions to safely exit the area. | |
| “The fire is burning within containment lines close to Beard, Harman and Oaks Estate. The fire is currently 424 hectares in size,” the emergency services agency said. “Firefighters are on scene. Helicopters are water-bombing and providing aerial surveillance.” | |
| The ESA has also sent out a bit more information about its website, which is still down, making it hard for residents to access critical information about the fires. It says the error is due to their website service provider Amazon. The problem is affecting the ESA and Amazon’s other clients. “We are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible,” the ESA said. “Please continue to stay up to date via ESA Facebook and local media.” | |
| We’ve just heard from ACT emergency services agency commissioner Georgeina Whelan, who held a press conference in Canberra. | We’ve just heard from ACT emergency services agency commissioner Georgeina Whelan, who held a press conference in Canberra. |
| She said the Beard fire – the product of two fires that have merged in the area near the ACT-NSW border – is still burning out of control and is 425 hectares in size. But there’s some positive news. | She said the Beard fire – the product of two fires that have merged in the area near the ACT-NSW border – is still burning out of control and is 425 hectares in size. But there’s some positive news. |
| “It is burning within containment lines, which is very good news,” she said. | “It is burning within containment lines, which is very good news,” she said. |
| “We are aware that you are concerned about the smoke that is emanating from the fire, that is because of the recycling centre at Beard ... it is producing dangerous levels of smoke which are also reducing visibility and air quality.” | “We are aware that you are concerned about the smoke that is emanating from the fire, that is because of the recycling centre at Beard ... it is producing dangerous levels of smoke which are also reducing visibility and air quality.” |
| Whelan also spoke about the problems with the ESA website, which have taken it offline for some users. She says the issue is affecting other websites, not just the ESA, and tells people to follow the ESA on Facebook and listen to its updates on ABC radio Canberra. | Whelan also spoke about the problems with the ESA website, which have taken it offline for some users. She says the issue is affecting other websites, not just the ESA, and tells people to follow the ESA on Facebook and listen to its updates on ABC radio Canberra. |
| RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons has confirmed that all three people who died in the downed C-130 this afternoon were American residents. | RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons has confirmed that all three people who died in the downed C-130 this afternoon were American residents. |
| Fitzsimmons said their deaths will impact fire fighters world-wide. | Fitzsimmons said their deaths will impact fire fighters world-wide. |
| “The firefighting fraternity, as we keep saying, is a tight-knit family, a fairly small family, and the crew on board were well known, not just to their colleagues here inAustralia, but we’re reminded that a number of our US colleagues that are embedded in some of the incident management teams now, including in the high country, actually had personal relationships with them,” he said. | “The firefighting fraternity, as we keep saying, is a tight-knit family, a fairly small family, and the crew on board were well known, not just to their colleagues here inAustralia, but we’re reminded that a number of our US colleagues that are embedded in some of the incident management teams now, including in the high country, actually had personal relationships with them,” he said. |
| Fire authorities have no idea what caused the water-bombing C-130 plane to crash suddenly this afternoon, RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons says. | Fire authorities have no idea what caused the water-bombing C-130 plane to crash suddenly this afternoon, RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons says. |
| “We simply lost contract with the machine and the flight tracker we used stopped,” he said. “There is no indication at this stage of what’s caused the accident.” | “We simply lost contract with the machine and the flight tracker we used stopped,” he said. “There is no indication at this stage of what’s caused the accident.” |
| He has acknowledged that the grounding of the large air tankers is likely to impact fire-fighting capabilities on the ground in NSW. | He has acknowledged that the grounding of the large air tankers is likely to impact fire-fighting capabilities on the ground in NSW. |
| Fitzsimmons has said it took “quite some time” to locate the wreckage of the C-130. | Fitzsimmons has said it took “quite some time” to locate the wreckage of the C-130. |
| “It’s impacted heavily with the ground and initial reports are that there was a large fireball associated with the impact of the plane as it hit the ground,” he said. “It is still an active fire ground and it was very difficult to locate the wreckage.” | “It’s impacted heavily with the ground and initial reports are that there was a large fireball associated with the impact of the plane as it hit the ground,” he said. “It is still an active fire ground and it was very difficult to locate the wreckage.” |
| Coulson Aviation, which has provided water-bombing aircraft to NSW over the past four or five years, has grounded its large air tankers as a precaution. | Coulson Aviation, which has provided water-bombing aircraft to NSW over the past four or five years, has grounded its large air tankers as a precaution. |
| “Coulsons have grounded their large air tankers this afternoon and, indeed, as a mark of respect and as welfare for the rest of their crews operating large air tankers here in New South Wales and interstate in Victoria, have grounded the operations pending review to ensure that there’s nothing systemic like a fuel problem or something,” Fitzsimmons said. “We’ve [also] got the military helping us with the evaluation of the fuel to rule that out.” | “Coulsons have grounded their large air tankers this afternoon and, indeed, as a mark of respect and as welfare for the rest of their crews operating large air tankers here in New South Wales and interstate in Victoria, have grounded the operations pending review to ensure that there’s nothing systemic like a fuel problem or something,” Fitzsimmons said. “We’ve [also] got the military helping us with the evaluation of the fuel to rule that out.” |
| The owners of Coulson Aviation will fly to Australia from Canada as soon as possible, he said. | The owners of Coulson Aviation will fly to Australia from Canada as soon as possible, he said. |
| Three people have died in a fiery crash involving a C-130 water bombing aeroplane, the Rural Fire Service commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, has confirmed. | Three people have died in a fiery crash involving a C-130 water bombing aeroplane, the Rural Fire Service commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, has confirmed. |
| The plane went down at 1.30pm. | The plane went down at 1.30pm. |
| “Tragically, there appears to be no survivors as a result of the crash down in the Snowy Monaro area,” he said. | “Tragically, there appears to be no survivors as a result of the crash down in the Snowy Monaro area,” he said. |
| The NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, is addressing the media in NSW: | The NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, is addressing the media in NSW: |
| However, she said, authorities were confident that conditions would ease over the next few hours. | However, she said, authorities were confident that conditions would ease over the next few hours. |
| To make matters worse in Canberra, the ACT’s emergency services agency’s website has just crashed. It’s showing only a “503 service error”. | To make matters worse in Canberra, the ACT’s emergency services agency’s website has just crashed. It’s showing only a “503 service error”. |
| Not great timing. | Not great timing. |
| The website displays the agency’s crucial incident map of various fires, car crashes, and other emergencies across the territory. | The website displays the agency’s crucial incident map of various fires, car crashes, and other emergencies across the territory. |
| It’s also the main source for emergency alert information for those trying to gauge whether to go or stay. It looks like the ESA’s Twitter account is still active. That account is pretty regular with its updates. | It’s also the main source for emergency alert information for those trying to gauge whether to go or stay. It looks like the ESA’s Twitter account is still active. That account is pretty regular with its updates. |
| And, of course, you can tune in to the emergency broadcaster, ABC Canberra, for local information. | And, of course, you can tune in to the emergency broadcaster, ABC Canberra, for local information. |
| 7 News is reporting that the wreckage of the downed C-130 has been found. | 7 News is reporting that the wreckage of the downed C-130 has been found. |
| There’s a steady stream of people arriving at the Moruya showgrounds which has been reopened as an evacuation centre. For a lot of people, it’s becoming a home away from home. | There’s a steady stream of people arriving at the Moruya showgrounds which has been reopened as an evacuation centre. For a lot of people, it’s becoming a home away from home. |
| One woman from Congo, just south of here, told me it was her third time here since New Year’s Eve. | One woman from Congo, just south of here, told me it was her third time here since New Year’s Eve. |
| “Our plan has been to leave early and we’ve been leaving early often lately,” she said. | “Our plan has been to leave early and we’ve been leaving early often lately,” she said. |
| Margaret, whose husband suffers from dementia, lives on the south side of town. She was here for five days after new year and has just arrived back. | Margaret, whose husband suffers from dementia, lives on the south side of town. She was here for five days after new year and has just arrived back. |
| “I can’t take of him at home when this is happening. I don’t like being here but I can’t be there either,” she said. | “I can’t take of him at home when this is happening. I don’t like being here but I can’t be there either,” she said. |
| The wind has been incredible for the past few hours. | The wind has been incredible for the past few hours. |
| The sky is looking ominous outside the Moruya showground where our reporter on the ground, Michael McGowan, captured this image. | The sky is looking ominous outside the Moruya showground where our reporter on the ground, Michael McGowan, captured this image. |
| NSW residents have been asked to turn off any unnecessary appliances and keep airconditioners to 24C between 4 and 8pm today. | NSW residents have been asked to turn off any unnecessary appliances and keep airconditioners to 24C between 4 and 8pm today. |
| Temperatures in Sydney are expected to remain as high as 40C during that time. | Temperatures in Sydney are expected to remain as high as 40C during that time. |