Emergency: Nerong fire warning as Bulahdelah blaze jumps Pacific Highway again
An emergency warning is in place for a "raging" bushfire close to a town inland from the Mid-North Coast, as residents are being told it’s too late to leave, urged to seek shelter now from the approaching fire.
An emergency warning was in place on Friday afternoon for a “raging” bushfire close to a town inland from the Mid-North Coast, as residents are being told it’s too late to leave and urged to seek shelter from the approaching fire.
Earlier on Friday, the blaze doubled back across the Pacific Highway, forcing road closures and threatening homes as firefighters battled the blaze amid warnings across the state.
Police said at 3.30pm on Friday that one lane had reopened each way on the Pacific Highway between Nabiac and Twelve Mile Creek, with motorists warned the speed limit was 60km/h and to expect significant delays.
The emergency warning remained in place at 4pm on Friday for residents in Crawford River along Emu Creek Road, south of Booral Road who are at risk.
Residents in Nerong were being asked to stay alert and monitor conditions, with leaving early the safest option.
In dry conditions on Thursday, a bushfire was sparked south of Bulahdelah in the afternoon and caused the closure of the M1 after flames jumped the Pacific Highway.
While a few lanes were reopened as it was being contained, wind changes and heat extremes on Friday caused the 750 hectare blaze to double back and cross over the highway once again leaving homes in danger.
Owner of the SA Relf and Sons sawmill at Bulahdelah Anthony Dorney, who confirmed the fire started at his brother’s property south of Bulahdelah, has been helping to fight the fire with his own trucks and water trailers and said Nerong residents would need to stay alert.
“It’s literally one kilometre from it so very serious,” he said early on Friday afternoon.
“My brother is at the highway with a dozer and he’s never seen a fire raging like it, and it’s heading straight towards the village.”
The thick smoke from the blaze billowing into the sky drifting to areas as far as Sydney.
“It’s burning in vegetation that’s tea tree and heath so it’s putting up quite a lot of smoke, it’s burning quite hot, quite quickly,” RFS spokesperson Victoria Quested said.
“They will do everything they can to get on top of this and pull it up, we have widespread fire danger across the state, we have hot dry conditions, fires under these conditions can be very difficult to get on top of.
“And heading in to tomorrow we are going to have extreme fire danger in that area, so conditions are expected to worsen over this weekend.”
Mr Dorney said the fast spreading fire came just metres from one of his worker’s properties and could have been devastating.
“His house was under severe threat, we thought we were going to get trapped there and burnt but the wind changed and it blew it around the bottom of his house and headed towards Stroud, Karuah way,” he said.
“It was scary, trying to catch his horse, went mad, we couldn’t catch it, eventually fire trucks turned up and it was all good. “They had planes, helicopters, it just took a fair while to get motivated and everyone up here.
“Within 15 minutes it went a kilometre and jumped the highway and took off.”
His neighbour also had a close call.
“Lost some property, some cars and buildings and a dwelling,” he said.
“It was the southern side of Bulahdelah, so a lot of rural properties and rural roads were under threat.
“The power went off yesterday too, made it harder for people to cook food and the fire brigade ordered 100 meals at one of the shops but they didn’t have power and couldn’t help.”
Over 50 bush and grass fires were burning across the state on Friday, with at least 13 yet to be contained, as total fire bans were enacted in south and central areas of NSW.
Milsons Gully near Muswellbrook in the Hunter Valley is also of concern as a severe fire, totalling more than 6,000 hectares, is burning in rugged bushland.
A Watch and Act is current with locals being warned to stay alert and leave now if not prepared.
“If it were to pick up, properties could be impacted, we’re asking those people to stay up to date,” Ms Quested added.
“Rugged and remote terrain so for firefighters it is quite difficult and comes with challenges.”
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Originally published as Emergency: Nerong fire warning as Bulahdelah blaze jumps Pacific Highway again
