Gospers Mountain fire: ‘I’m reasonably confident of the rejuvenation of the Hawkesbury’
As one part of the Mountains readies itself against the Green Wattle Creek fire, in another the NSW Governor has been updated on the Gospers mega-fire and its impacts on the environment.
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As one part of the Blue Mountains readies itself against the Green Wattle Creek fire, in another NSW Governor Margaret Beazley has been told the Gospers Mountain fire is nearly contained.
And there are promising signs the native flora and fauna will recover.
“We are still at this moment working to contain the fire in the Lithgow area,” the NSW Rural Fire Service incident controller for the Gospers Mountain fire, Superintendent Karen Hodges, told the Governor during a visit to fire-hit Mountains and Hawkesbury communities on Wednesday.
It will be a long road to full recovery. As Hawkesbury Group Captain Craig Burley explained, Colo Heights RFS is still being called back to reignitions on a daily basis.
The Gospers mega-fire has consumed one million hectares over the past three months but, thankfully, no one was killed.
“There are 13 countries in the world that are smaller than this fire,” Spt Hodges reflected on by then her team’s 74th straight day of dealing with Gospers. “It’s 1377 kilometres all the way around.”
Ms Beazley was by turns elated when told of the tireless efforts by National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to protect a local rock-wallaby colony, and disappointed to hear people had interfered with firefighting efforts.
NPWS deputy incident controller Andrew Bayley said special care was taken when back burning in areas with known rock-wallaby colonies and NPWS is now going back into these areas to feed them.
“WIRES has been on the Putty Road looking for them ... (and) Local Land Services is putting out feeding stations in Mount Lagoon,” Mr Bayley told the Governor.
“I’m reasonably confident of the rejuvenation of the Hawkesbury.”
Mr Bayley said fire in the national parks hasn’t “gone all through the tree canopies”, but through the understorey vegetation.
Reflecting on particularly frustrating periods during the Gospers fire, Ms Hodges said a couple from Manly stalled a critical back burn when they left their locked car in an area crews had intended to burn.
She said firefighters feared the occupants might be nearby and therefore burnt if the back burn went ahead.
“They (firefighters) spent eight hours searching for them,” Ms Hodges said with reference to the couple, who they later found out was safe and nowhere near the area. “It was very frustrating.”
She also spoke of a man, in his eighties, who repeatedly refused to evacuate as fire raged towards his home.
The man eventually did leave — but without telling anyone. So, imagine the firefighters’ horror when they found his house had been lost to the flames.
“For a few hours we thought he was dead,” Ms Hodges despondently recollected.
After seeing for herself Gospers-ravaged Blackheath and Bilpin, the Governor remarked “the devastation is overwhelming, and the work that is being done and the dedication and professionalism is more overwhelming”.
“It brings you to tears,” she said, as her eyes welled up.
The current situation
- There are currently six fires burning in the Blue Mountains-Hawkesbury local government area: Gospers Mountain, Linden Creek, St Helena, Erskine Creek, Grose Valley and Ruined Castle.
- Today’s fire danger rating is very high.
- Stay up to date on bushfires in your area by checking the NSW RFS website, listening to your local radio station, or by calling the NSW RFS Bush Fire Information Line on 1800 679 737.
- Report injured or at-risk wildlife, especially Koalas to WIRES 1300 094 737. Provide a detailed description of the location, including grid reference (latitude and longitude).