NSW bushfires: Catastrophic fire danger forecast for NSW
Catastrophic conditions, worse than Thursday, are forecast for Saturday with temperatures expected to reach 40C once again and fireys warning that major blazes could spot up to 18km ahead of the fire front.
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Catastrophic conditions are forecast for Saturday in Sydney and parts of NSW with temperatures topping 40C and dangerous westerly winds creating a weather nightmare for firefighters.
Conditions are expected to be worse than Thursday when two firefighters were killed battling out-of-control blazes as the Rural Fire Service warned fires could spot up to 18km ahead of the main fire front and a strong southerly buster is expected in the afternoon.
There are fears the strong winds could stop firefighting planes and waterbombing helicopters from taking off.
Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said it was going to be a “critically challenging and dangerous day”.
He said firefighters had to remain focused despite the tragic deaths of Andrew O’Dwyer and Geoffrey Keaton, from the Horsley Park RFS brigade.
A statewide total fire ban remains in place due to ongoing hot, dry and windy conditions. Catastrophic fire danger is forecast for Greater Sydney, Illawarra/Shoalhaven and the Southern Ranges today. A number of large fires are already burning in some of these areas. #nswrfs pic.twitter.com/CR2WIGvw9D
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) December 20, 2019
“Not withstanding the absolute devastation and the loss of these two men last night, we need to maintain our focus and resolve,” Mr Fitzsimmons said.
Yesterday’s milder conditions gave firefighters the opportunity to do consolidation work, including backburning, ahead of the expected fire blitz as some residents were preparing to stay and defend their properties despite being told by the RFS that “these are the worst of conditions”.
The RFS said the Greater Sydney, Illawarra-Shoalhaven and southern ranges face catastrophic fire danger while the Greater Hunter and central ranges will experience extreme fire danger.
In the Southern Highlands where the massive Green Wattle Creek blaze is burning, temperatures of 41C are forecast with fresh westerly winds from late morning or early afternoon.
Temperatures of over 40C are predicted for Sydney’s west with 47C in Penrith and Richmond, along with 41C in Bowral, 39C in Katoomba, 44C in Mudgee, 37C at Grafton and 40C at Casino.
RFS Inspector Ben Shepherd warned the fires could spot up to 18km ahead and people should not expect the RFS to be there to save their properties.
“Basically homes are not built to withstand fires on these kind of days. People need to understand that they may not get a fire truck. They may not even be able to fly planes or helicopters in this kind of weather,” he said.
Balmoral RFS senior deputy captain Peter Lawrence said he was worried about today’s weather forecast because the out-of-control fire was working through a gully system near properties.
“We’re not feeling very well about it, because we know what’s going to happen — it’s supposed to be 42 degrees, so all we can do is go on gut feeling and do our best,” Mr Lawrence said yesterday.
“We’re worn out, we’ve been going for two weeks solid and more. The adrenaline keeps you going. You feel it, you get up in the morning and think ‘do I have to get up again’.”
Balmoral resident Gabriel Kam, 16, was yesterday desperately helping his parents safeguard their home — situated next to a gully in thick bushland less than a kilometre from the Green Wattle Creek blaze — by clearing debris and hosing down lawns.
Around 20 homes were destroyed in the town on Thursday while there are fears the Green Wattle Creek fire will cross the Hume Highway and head towards Wollongong.
“It’s terrifying, honestly — just knowing that everything that I’ve lived with for my whole life could be burnt down in an instant,” Gabriel said.
“Just knowing that there’s almost nothing we can do really is kind of scary. (I’ve been) making sure there isn’t any debris that can catch alight and helping around — anything I can do to help. We’ll stay around and keep an eye on everything.”
Arabella and Edward Sheere have packed nine-year-old daughter Sophia’s Christmas presents in the car if they are forced to evacuate their Blackheath home. “At least we know a little girl will have her toys and parents should the worst happen,” Mrs Sheere said. “It would break my heart if I lost my house at Christmas, it is such a bad time for this to happen but we have all the presents still.”
Many homeowners are determined to stay and fight.
Carpenter Tyler Driscoll, 22, who was preparing to stay behind and help defend his family’s property with his girlfriend Abbey Rodgers, 20, and father Craig, 40, said everyone was banding together and the firefighters are “the best in the world”.
In Buxton, Tom Cunneen and his wife Jane have decided they will stay and fight today as they have “too much to lose”.
They avoided the worst of the blaze on Thursday and yesterday the fire got within 50m of their property in Buxton.
“Our life is here. Our business is here, we have a wholesale nursery. All the kids have left the house so it will just be us and the RFS here tomorrow,” Mr Cunneen said.
“We’ve been clearing the land and watering around the home and gardens. Our neighbours are staying also.”
Amid the destruction have been plenty of heartwarming tales including at Buxton where a crew saved two abandoned dogs.
“We just went into the property to check it was protected and I saw one dog on a chain running around scared,” Warragamba RFS member Deanna Rajcanny.
“So I just yanked out the chain because he was red raw around the neck. Then I saw this other dog hiding in a kennel. So we grabbed them both and put them in the truck.”
With Lithgow jail potentially in the fire path, Corrective Services is liaising with the RFS.
But there are no immediate plans to evacuate the prison which is protected by fire breaks.
FOR SATURDAY 21 DECEMBER:
Catastrophic Fire Danger is forecast for the following fire areas: Greater Sydney Region, Illawarra/Shoalhaven and Southern Ranges
● Extreme Fire Danger is forecast for the following fire areas: Greater Hunter and Central Ranges
● Severe Fire Danger is forecast for the following fire areas: Monaro Alpine, Northern Slopes, North Western and Southern Slopes
● Very High Fire Danger is forecast for the following fire areas: North Coast, New England, Lower Central West Plains, Eastern Riverina and Southern Riverina
The NSW Rural Fire Service advises people to monitor the fire and weather situation.
For information on preparing for bushfires go to www.rfs.nsw.gov.au.
Originally published as NSW bushfires: Catastrophic fire danger forecast for NSW