Battle to save Blue Mountains township of Capertee from being razed by fire
A small town north of Lithgow has been ringed by out-of-control bushfires and could be the next one destroyed if the wind changes. RFS crews are battling to set up defences. SEE THE PICTURES
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A small town located north of Lithgow has been ringed by out-of-control bushfires and could be the next one destroyed if the wind changes.
The northern edge of the massive Gospers Mountain bushfire — now occupying an area seven times the size of Singapore — is creeping towards Capertee, near Lithgow, where fleets of bulldozers are today furiously cutting fire breaks.
If the fire breaks these makeshift containment lines, Capertee RFS captain Steve Dalli’s home will be one of the first in the firing line.
“Capertee is basically ringed by fire. There’s fires to the north, west and south,” he said.
“I am very concerned. It will be touch and go for Capertee if this (Gospers Mountain) fire jumps the fire trail.
“My property is in the firing line but I cannot be there to defend it; I have to be a leader for my brigade and for the community.”
The fire is currently about seven minute’s drive away from Capertree in any direction.
Capertee’s last line of defence is the railway line, which runs parallel to the Castlereagh Highway.
Further to the north of Capertee, the Palmers Oaky fire is burning out of control near homes in the small villages of Upper Turon, Running Stream, Cherry Tree.
Light winds between 15km/h and 20km/h are giving firefighters a fighting chance of beating the blaze back on Saturday, with help from bulldozers and helicopters.
“The next two to three days will be challenging as this fire creeps closer to town and the threat increases,” Mr Dalli said.
“I’m a 30 year veteran in the RFS, I joined in 1990, and I’ve never seen fires like this.
“Normally we’ll have a big fire and rain will come through and the danger’s off, but in this case we haven’t had any rain — which is the only thing that will put this fire out.”
Nearby resident Brett Hutchison, 48, is on constant vigil to protect his family home at Ben Bullen, where charred leaves have been falling in the front yard for the past 10 days.
During last Saturday’s catastrophic conditions, Mr Hutchison could see both the Gospers Mountain and the Palmers Oaky fires burning from his patio, which was showered in embers.
“We’ve been on tenterhooks the whole time and we’re absolutely knackered,” Mr Hutchison said.
“The Hutchison family has been on this property for more than 100 years and we don’t want to be the ones who let it burn down around our ears.
“We’ve never had a fire like this, and nor has my dad in his lifetime.”
Temperatures in the Blue Mountains are forecast to remain in the 30s until Friday and there is no rain on the radar, although no strong winds are expected.
