Tasmania bushfire updates: Zeehan threatened by nearby bushfire

Smoke is impacting major West Coast centres, while Zeehan residents brace for a bushfire closing in. The latest warnings.

Follow for The Mercury’s rolling updates of the February bushfires.

Fire getting closer to Zeehan, more alerts for West Coast

3.40pm: Zeehan is bracing for a bushfire at Yellowband Plain to strike the West Coast town.

It’s estimated the fire will put the town in danger in the next three to four hours.

A Watch and Act message has been issued with residents warned to prepare to leave.

A multi-agency fire crew is attending the fire, however conditions are expected to change.

The alert said Queenstown is a safe place for people to travel to but have warned to only do so if it’s safe.

An alert has also been issued for Trial Harbour and surrounds with a bushfire at Pieman Heads travelling towards the area now. People are being urged to stay near shelter.

Granville Harbour is also being urged to take shelter now, while Corinna’s warning has escalated once again to an emergency.

The raging blazes have also billowed smoke into the region with smoke alerts current for the West Coast hubs of Queenstown and Strahan.

No damage so far to fire-hit West Coast shack community

1pm: Work to protect shack communities from raging bushfires is working, those on the ground say.

Bushfires continue to rage on the West Coast after more than a dozen were lit when dry lightening struck last week.

Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service incident controller Nic Deka said there had been no reports of damage to built assets at Pieman Heads or Sandy Cape — despite high fire danger conditions continuing to present challenges.

“This morning, fires were expected to approach within 900m of the shack community at Pieman Heads, however recent fuel reduction burns appear to have reduced the risk to these properties,” Mr Deka said.

The emergency warning for Pieman Heads was downgraded this morning, but one still remains for Sandy Cape to take shelter now.

He said they would inspect the damage once weather conditions permit.

State Fire commander Jeremy Smith said 26 remote area firefighters were on the way to assist with the fire response — 20 from NSW and six from the ACT — along with two helicopters that have winch capabilities.

Two personnel have also been supplied from Queensland, he confirmed.

He said the NSW firefighters would set up a basecamp at Tullah that could facilitate up to 100 personnel.

Overland Track hut destroyed by bushfire

February 13, 9am: A bushfire raging at parts of the Overland Track has destroyed the Pine Forest Moor Hut, Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Services confirm.

PWS liaison officer Brendon Clark confirmed aerial images showed the hut had been destroyed.

“While this outcome is not what we had hoped for, it reiterates that we are in a dynamic and challenging situation with these fires,” Mr Clark said.

The Overland Track was first closed last Wednesday when bushfire got within 5km of the track and it’s not expected to open before Monday, February 24.

Aerial assessments have also been made at other fire-stricken locations, including Sandy Cape — which he said no built structures appeared to be damaged.

“Our efforts to protect high value natural and cultural assets, including sensitive alpine vegetation are at this stage looking positive, however weather conditions continue to present challenges,” he said.

Emergency warnings remain in place for Sandy Cape, Pieman Heads and surrounds to take shelter.

Watch and Act alerts are current for Granville Harbour, Corinna and Reece Dam.

Those at Granville Harbour have been urged to leave if unprepared, while Corinna is not safe to return and people have been told to avoid Reece Dam.

The latest alerts can be found online at Tasalert.

Here’s where to find what has happened so far in Tasmania’s bushfire emergency.

Originally published as Tasmania bushfire updates: Zeehan threatened by nearby bushfire