Three uncontrolled fires mark horror early start to fire season
Emergency alerts are in place across three parts of NSW as uncontrolled bushfires threaten homes. It comes as fire chiefs warn residents to brace for an unprecedented horrific bushfire season as RFS volunteer Neville Smith fights for his life.
NSW
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Three uncontrolled bushfires are threatening homes in what fire chiefs are declaring the most dangerous start to a bushfire season ever.
Emergency alerts telling residents to seek shelter are in place at Cobargo on the South Coast, between Armidale and Grafton, and south of Drake near Tenterfield.
“Never before have we recorded such extreme fire danger conditions this early in September,” NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said.
“Normally you’d expect these sorts of conditions as you come closer to the summer months.”
Sixty fires are currently burning across the state, 19 of which have not been contained.
“If nothing else, fires in September and the severity of these fires tell us what a horrific bushfire season we’re going to have,” Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.
Volunteer firefighter Neville Smith, who was critically injured battling the Tenterfield blaze on Friday, was undergoing surgery in Brisbane Hospital this afternoon to treat the serious burns to his hands, arms, face, back and airways.
Mr Smith is in a critical but stable condition in the intensive care unit, where he is expected to remain for “some time”, according to Commissioner Fitzsimmons.
The fire truck pumping water through the hose Mr Neville was holding was completely destroyed.
Mr Smith, a Rural Fire Service volunteer, was battling a grass fire at a farm on the edge of town along Scrub Rd when a wind gust suddenly whipped up the flames.
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Mr Smith was fighting the fire on Tenterfield councillor Bronwyn Petrie’s property.
“Neville was alight. His trousers had burnt up to the knee. I thought he had shorts on,” Cr Petrie said.
“His face and hair had been singed and his back had been singed where the coat had been alight, but his hands, particularly right hand and right elbow were severely burned.”
More the 450 firefighters, 170 fire trucks and aircraft have been deployed to fight the fires and reinforcements are on their way from as far south as Sydney and Canberra.
Two fires around Tenterfield and a third at Ebor, between Coffs Harbour and Armidale, all worsened overnight as wind gusted up to 90km/h, according to the RFS.
Speaking to party members at the NSW Liberal State Council meeting in Sydney today, Prime Minister Scott Morrison reassured communities battling bushfires that they will receive whatever support they will need.
Mr Morrison said his thoughts went out to those fighting the fires.
“And to all those who are out there volunteering today and supporting those in desperate need in fighting these fires, as always we say thank you to you,” Mr Morrison said.
“And you’ll get any support that you would expect to get whether it’s from the commonwealth government, state government … you’ll be getting that support.”
The fires are all burning in drought-affected areas and firefighters are trying, where possible, to save water by clearing land with bulldozers and graders.
A fire burning out of control on the southern outskirts of Tenterfield has already destroyed four homes, two business and the local pistol club.
An evacuation centre has been set up at the Tenterfield Showgrounds.
A second fire near is burning out of control in bushland near Tenterfield, towards small towns Ewingar and Tilbaroo, where residents have also been told to seek shelter.
Fire crews at the Bees Nest fire, burning inland from Coffs Harbour, are working furiously to protect homes in Tyringham, Merengo, Hernani, Meldrum and Dundarrabin.
“We’re seeing decreased temperatures today compared to yesterday but winds are hanging around, which will be a challenge for firefighters,” a NSW RFS spokesman said.
“The fuel load is so dry, these fires will burn quickly driven by wind and any new fires that kick off are likely to take hold quickly.
“New fires that kick off are likely to take hold quickly.”
When seeking shelter, residents should go inside, turn off their airconditioning, close their windows, bring in floor mats, cane chairs, cushions, wall plants and shade sails to remove the potential for their homes to catch alight.
Residents should also take their hose fittings and hoses inside so they don’t melt and so they can fight spot fires from any embers after the fire front passes.