Catastrophic fire risk: residents in new housing estates fear ‘ring of fire’ as they ready escape plans

Thousands of residents in new housing estates across Sydney’s northwest are preparing for the worst with catastrophic fire danger imminent. See their concerns around evacuating new precincts.

Residents in new housing estates like Elara in Marsden Park feel they are exposed to bushfire risks with only single engine fire brigade stations nearby, leaving nearly 14,000 residents with little support. Local mums L-R Tamara Smith with girls Olivia 6 and Gracie 4 and Kylie Hocothee with daughter Abigail 4. Picture: Toby Zerna

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Families in new housing estates across Sydney’s northwest are preparing to “drop everything and leave immediately”, fearing for the worst with catastrophic fire danger issued today.

Marsden Park residents revealed they are fearful their suburb could be “engulfed by a ring of fire” as they scramble to work out evacuation plans — raising concerns both escape routes from the new Elara residential precinct are surrounded by dense bushland.

More than 46,000 people have moved into new residential precincts across Sydney’s northwest including Marsden Park, Riverstone, Kellyville and Box Hill.

Local mum Tamara Smith with girls Gracie 4 (L) and Olivia 6 with dense bush land behind them the new homes that have been built. Picture: Toby Zerna

However, rural fire brigades are facing possible amalgamations at stations such as Marsden Park, Plumpton, Shanes Park and Berkshire Park, with a NSWRFS spokesman revealing consolidation of resources is “being discussed”.

“No brigades are expected to close, however, there is discussion around amalgamations of facilities to create a better situated mega-station,” the spokesman told the Telegraph.

A spokesman for Emergency Services Minister, David Elliott ruled out talks of station closures.

Marsden Park resident Tamara Smith said her only bushfire survival plan was to “grab the kids and go”.

“It is a nightmare getting out of the estate in peak hour already, the roads are crippled on a daily basis” she said. “During an emergency it would be unimaginable, I don’t know how they would evacuate everyone.

“We haven’t got an emergency plan set up, all I know is that I would pack up and leave.”

Residents in new housing estates like Elara in Marsden Park feel they are exposed to bushfire risks with only single engine fire brigade stations nearby, leaving nearly thousands of residents with little support. Local mum Kylie Hocothee with daughter Abigail 4 with an overnight bag ready to leave if needed. Picture: Toby Zerna

Kylie Hocothee said community groups had scrambled to organise Rural Fire Service safety briefings as they were “completely unaware of the fire risk”.

“The biggest concern would be for the amount of residents that would need to be evacuated,” she said. “And the limited resources of the Marsden Park Rural Fire Brigade.”

Ms Hocothee said she feared single-tanker rural first stations, like Marsden Park, will be unable to cope in an emergency situation.

Concerns from residents across northwest Sydney come as expert local FRS taskforce members have travelled to the state’s mid north coast.

Specialist local volunteers from Kellyville, Glenorie, Glenhaven, Rouse Hill, Wisemans Ferry, Maroota, Round Corner and North Rocks have travelled north to assist crews battling fires. However, a NSW RFS spokesman said taskforce groups from Victoria, South Australia and New Zealand were travelling to western Sydney in preparation for catastrophic conditions.

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