NSW Bushfires: Blue Mountains’ nearest ‘safer locations’

As bushfire danger escalates, now is the time to decide whether to stay at home, or leave. These are your ‘safer locations’ in The Hawkesbury, already sheltering people who’ve fled the massive Gospers Mountain fires.

RFS and Fire and Rescue NSW crews continue with containment measures at the out of control Gospers Mountain fire along the Bells Line of Road on Tuesday, December 17. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)

• ‘Safe and secure’ caravans for refuge from bushfires
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In the Hawkesbury there are two ‘safer locations’ in case of bushfire emergency.

But only one accepts animals, Hawkesbury Showground.

That’s where we found husband and wife David and Gaynor, who fled the massive Gospers Mountain fire in a caravan with two dogs in tow after seeing large plumes of smoke from their Bilpin property.

The self-professed “first-class evacuees” had bought this caravan only six weeks earlier, not knowing it would soon become their temporary home.

Fire has come within 300 metres of their home, which sits on the south side of the Bells Line of Road bushfire road closures, near Berambing.

And now they not sure whether to return, because there’s every chance fire could circle back around and then they’d have no way out.

“The plan depends on what time of day it is,” David said.

Bilpin couple David and Gaynor are among a growing number of people seeking refuge from fires at Hawkesbury Showground in Clarendon. Photo: Isabell Petrinic

“We went quite early, as agreed,” David, a “tree-changer” who moved to Bilpin from The Hills two years ago, said.

“We’d been preparing for a month knowing the Gospers Mountain fire would get to us eventually, unless there was rain.”

Wife Gaynor said, “I think the message is be decisive about what you’re going to do, and have an A, B and C plan.”

Thankfully they’d heard Hawkesbury Showground is a safer location — not to be confused with a Neighbourhood Safer Place, which is a place of last resort during a bushfire emergency.

The Hawkesbury’s other ‘safer location’ is the Richmond Club.

Neither is an evacuation centre, of which there is currently one statewide, in Inverell.

Hawkesbury Showground will keep its gates open over Christmas for people seeking shelter from fires with their animals. Picture: Isabell Petrinic

“Evacuation centres are managed by Emergency NSW and only established if they’re needed,” a Rural Fire Service (RFS) spokeswoman told The Blue Mountains News.

“Safer Places is more a ‘I’ve left it too late, I didn’t have my (bushfire) plan, fire’s now hitting, what am I going to do?’ sort of thing.”

Hawkesbury Showground administration and business manager, Andrea Roth, said this is a service they are offering “off their own bat”.

The facility has 77 stables and has so far sheltered owners with goats, chickens, dogs, cats and horses.

Ms Roth expects as temperatures climb and bushfire risk escalates, more people will come.

“They can turn up and we’ll work it out,” Ms Roth said.

She said Gate 4 would be kept open, or dummy-locked, and to go ahead and drive in.

Safer locations

• Evacuees can look for shelter at Richmond Club, East Market St, Richmond, where limited numbers of caravans are also available to those seeking refuge from fire
• Richmond Club can offer displaced residents a free members meal and drinks tea/coffee (please bring ID with proof of residency to reception)
• Evacuees with animals can stay with them at Hawkesbury Showground, Racecourse Rd, Clarendon (enter via Gate 4)

More information

• Not all areas will have a Neighbourhood Safer Place. If there is no Neighbourhood Safer Place in your area, you should identify other safer locations you can go to as a last resort, such as a nearby home that is well prepared, a shopping centre or oval well away from the bush
• Check Fires Near Me for fire updates, including evacuation centre locations, and Live Traffic for road closures

If you are threatened by fire

• Do not put yourself in the path of fire
• Protect yourself from the heat of fire; wear protective clothing and footwear, and cover all exposed skin
• If fire impacts, seek shelter in a solid structure to protect yourself from the heat of the fire
• If your life is at risk, call triple-0
• If you are in an area that’s already been affected by fire, there may be small areas of active fire burning for some time so be aware of the dangers of trees and branches falling