Chasing down a potential firebug
SOUTHWESTERN Sydney residents would find it “absolutely unforgivable” if the out-of-control blaze threatening their homes was found to be deliberately lit, the Premier says.
NSW
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SOUTHWESTERN Sydney residents would find it “absolutely unforgivable” if the out-of-control blaze threatening their homes was found to be deliberately lit by a firebug, Premier Gladys Berejiklian said this morning.
Winds up to 100kmh are expected to fan the flames today and despite the NSW Rural Fire Service downgrading the blaze to a “watch and act” from “emergency” grading, more than 500 firefighters are still working hard to stop it reaching homes in Menai, Picnic Point, Sandy Point and Alfords Point.
What began as a grass fire in Casula yesterday burnt south through more than 1000 hectares into the Sutherland Shire last night.
“It’s not every day that in April you hear that a fire has started in Casula and is threatening homes,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“Very unusual circumstance. The wind conditions plus the unusually high temperatures in April have contributed to this.”
Police set up a crime scene in Casula yesterday, investigating the suspicion the fire was deliberately lit.
“We are so concerned with reports this could have been deliberately lit,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“There’ll be a full investigation and I think the community would deem it absolutely unforgivable if this fire was deliberately lit.”
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull visited the area of the fires today and said “outstanding efforts” were being made to control the fire with 500 firefighters attacking it.
“I just want to say on behalf of all Australians, how much we admire the firefighters and thank them for their extraordinary courage and professionalism in fighting this blaze,” he said at a press conference at Heathcote.
RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons this afternoon said conditions would continue to be tough for firefighters for the rest of the week, and meaningful rain was needed.
“We are seeing the fire behave very aggressively. It’s spreading to the east and to the north,” he told reporters.
“The overriding message here is we still have a very volatile dynamic, dangerous fire situation.”
Earlier this morning, he had said winds were making firefighting efforts difficult.
“You’re talking about hot, blustery, windy conditions. You’re talking about ember storms, ember showers,” Mr Fitzsimmons said. “You’ve got spot fire starting kilometres ahead of the fire front.”
He said a southerly change at 3am today had complicated the battle for fire crews.
“What was then flanks of the original fire became new heads of the fire resulting in additional emergency alerts being sent out,” Mr Fitzsimmons said.
While fire investigators and police were working to establish how the fire was started and NSW Police have declared the area a crime scene, the RFS said it was too early to declare if the blaze was deliberately lit.
Meanwhile a plan has been put in place to protect the Lucas Heights nuclear reactor — just a suburb away from the fires — if it was threatened.
“No immediate concerns at this stage, but yes, it is part of the contingency planning clearly if we see the fire breach and head in the direction,” Mr Fitzsimmons said.
However despite the heavy smoke, it was a case of “play on” at Barden Ridge football fields this morning, with senior men’s and women’s matches played in the shadows of billowing smoke, from a fire front which appeared roughly 1km away.
“No, I think we’re fine here. They’ve called off games down at Menai but it looks like it’s missing us here,” said a woman watching her daughter play.
HEROIC OVERNIGHT BATTLE
Overnight, more than 500 firefighters battled tirelessly to save hundreds of homes from the raging fire burning in Sydney’s southwest.
Almost 1000 hectares of bush have been burnt since the out-of-control fire was first reported around 2.45pm yesterday afternoon.
The blaze started in the vicinity of Leacocks Reserve in Casula, where it was then pushed in a southerly direction by strong winds.
Early last night homes in Menai, Wattle Grove, Voyager Point and Pleasure Point were within metres from the roaring fire.
Residents used hoses, buckets of water and turned on their sprinklers on to fight the blaze that was encroaching their properties.
Thankfully, winds eased just after midnight, giving exhausted firefighters the chance to have a break.
Many of them slept on the concrete walkway and in peoples’ front yard.
Tired residents who chose to stay to protect their homes were grateful for the firefighters’ help and provided them with water, coffee and tea.
In the early hours of the morning, NSW RFS Duty Officer Paul Best was bracing for a tough day ahead.
“We are expecting strong winds today again so crews will be working hard,” he said.
“Firefighters will try to identify containment lines and implement a strategy to minimise the spread.”
Just before 5.30am, fire crews started backburning on Heathcote Rd.
There was a focus on Sandy Point, with firefighters fearing the fire could spread to the small suburb.