Bushfires NT: Fires in Red Centre, Tennant Creek prompt warnings as ‘fuels start to dry’

Bushfires NT have warned of increased fire activity as fuels start to dry out in Central Australia. Free read.

A fire was reported on Friday evening at Tennant Creek. Picture: Senior Fire Management Officer Troy Munckton

Multiple blazes in Alice Springs and Tennant Creek have been responded to by Bushfires NT in under 24 hours.

Fire services responded on Friday evening to grass and scrub fires just north of Tennant Creek, near to the Stuart Hwy on Hingstons Pl at about 8pm, as well as a separate fire on Weaber Rd at about 9pm.

Access to the fires had been restricted due to wet ground but volunteers continued monitoring the fires into Saturday.

Southeast of Alice Springs a fire was also reported at 6.48am on Saturday near to Amoonguna, prompting urgent bushfire warnings and smoke warnings for the nearby community.

Smoke and fire was reported at the Ross Hwy near Amoonguna, south of Alice Springs. Picture: Action for Alice 2020

Bushfires NT reported at 9am on Saturday that the fire was spreading on one or more fronts and that effective containment strategies were not in place for the entire perimeter.

Local residents were warned that smoke could impact visibility and that firefighting crews would also be working close to the roadside of the Ross Hwy.

Volunteers and a Heltack water bomber attended the Alice Springs fire.

Bushfires NT shared information about the fires on Facebook and said they were experiencing increased fire activity as fuels started to dry.

“Access to some areas however is still restricted as some tracks and firebreaks are still boggy,” the post said.

Originally published as Bushfires NT: Fires in Red Centre, Tennant Creek prompt warnings as ‘fuels start to dry’