Sydney smoke: Air quality was the equivalent of 34 cigarettes

Residents of bushfire ravaged NSW are in danger of ­developing a pack-a-day habit, even if they’ve never smoked a cigarette in their lives and on Tuesday night firefighters continued to battle blazes across the state. SEE HOW BAD IS IT IN YOUR SUBURB

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Residents of bushfire ravaged NSW are in danger of ­developing a pack-a-day habit, even if they’ve never smoked a cigarette in their lives.

Breathing in the smoke-filled air blanketing the state is like dragging on a durry all day, according to a ciggy index measuring levels of toxic air.

Sydney’s air quality was so bad on Tuesday it was almost the equivalent of smoking a pack- and-a-half of cigarettes.

Sydney’s CBD is barely visible late on Tuesday afternoon. Picture: Christian Gilles

NSW Department of Environment data showed the highest polluted areas of Sydney, in the southwest, registered 680 PM2.5.

The city’s normal air pollution reading is between five and eight PM2.5 — a measure of fine particles less than 2.5 microns, or millionths of a metre, in diameter.

Smoke from bushfires continues to affect large parts of NSW, reducing air quality. If you have a chronic respiratory or heart condition follow these tips from Dr Richard Broome. #NSWFIRES pic.twitter.com/BbhPygGDcJ

— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) December 2, 2019

The reading was the equivalent of 34 cigarettes if someone breathed in the air all day.

In the east, the pollution was similar to smoking 19 cigarettes, while Port Macquarie had a 17-cigarette day and Lismore hit 20.

Heavy smoke hovers over Bondi. Picture: Christian Gilles

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH THE NSW BUSHFIRES IN YOUR AREA

At 730am, there are 119 bush and grass fires burning across NSW, with 48 not yet contained. The Currowan fire in the Shoalhaven remains at Watch and Act and all other fires are at the Advice alert level. Smoke haze remains over parts of parts of the state today. #NSWRFS @NSWFires pic.twitter.com/zYluQrSALy

— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) December 2, 2019

University of Sydney respiratory diseases scientist Dr Brian Oliver said the smoky conditions were a danger.

“People who have heart conditions, asthma or pregnant women should be careful as the air quality would be dangerous for them,” he told The Daily Telegraph.

“The smoke won’t cause a heart attack, but if someone is on the edge of having one, these conditions could push them over.

“The PM reading measures very small smoke particles and soot which are smaller than 2.5 microns.”

A plane flies past a fiery sunset over Ulladulla on the NSW South Coast. Picture: Gary Ramage

Tourists are met by a wall of smoke at Echo Point in Katoomba, Blue Mountains, on Monday. Picture: AAP

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A spotter plane flies over the out of control fire at Avery's lane, near Stanford Merthyr, west of Newcastle, on Tuesday. Picture: AAP/Darren Pateman

Horses flee as an out of control fire threatens properties near Stanford Merthyr. Darren Pateman

These particles pose a risk as they are small enough to be completely ingested through the nose or mouth.

Dr Oliver added the conditions over the past week have been terrible across the state.

“In northern NSW there is a peat fire, near Port Macquarie, people up there have now had prolonged exposure and would be more at risk of getting ill,” he said.

Blazes are burning near Warragamba Dam, which accounts for 80 per cent of Sydney’s water.

But WaterNSW told The Daily Telegraph the ash from the fires have not contaminated the dam.

“Fires burning in Sydney’s catchment do not pose a risk to water quality in WaterNSW dam storages at this time,” a spokesman said.

#Smoke from fires to the west again blanket parts of #Sydney this morning and will persist today. Air quality in Sydney is rated as Poor. Latest air quality for Sydney and other NSW locations and links to health information here: https://t.co/h8SjxncyAP pic.twitter.com/5QOTI9XgVF

— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) December 2, 2019

FLAMING HELL EATS 40,000HA OF BUSH

Residents on NSW’s central and south coasts were told on Tuesday night to flee their homes as westerly winds pushed bushfires towards the isolated towns.

RFS, NSW Fire and Rescue and NPWS officers joined residents to fight a bushfire encroaching on properties near Termeil on the Princes Highway between Bateman’s Bay and Ulladulla south of Sydney on Tuesday. Picture: AAP/Dean Lewins

The Currawan fire has burnt through almost 40,000 hectares of bush. Picture: AAP/Dean Lewins

Late on Tuesday the fire near the Hawkesbury River escalated, sparking spot fires in Mangrove Creek and Lower Mangrove Areas.

It prompted emergency services’ texts to residents advising them to evacuate.

Over 400km south, residents in the beachside town of South Durras were also told to leave and head towards Batemans Bay.

A resident on a motorcycle races to beat flames as the bushfire crosses the Princes Highway near Termeil. Picture: AAP/Dean Lewins

Firefighters work to save the 100-year-old school near Termeil on the Princes Highway. Picture: AAP/Dean Lewins

Residents race to save livestock near Termeil between Bateman’s Bay and Ulladulla on Tuesday. Picture: AAP/Dean Lewins

They were trying to escape the Currowan fire, which has burnt through almost 40,000 hectares.

“It’s been like 24 hours of hell,” East Lynne resident Susie Ives said.

— Madeline Crittenden

Originally published as Sydney smoke: Air quality was the equivalent of 34 cigarettes