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PM Scott Morrison thanks NSW firefighters amid climate change inaction criticism

The prime minister visited firefighters in NSW today but the appearance was quickly labelled a photo opportunity "in lieu of actually doing anything".

Ally Foster and Sarah McPhee
less than 2 min read
December 8, 2019 - 2:05PM
Summer Weather: The heat is on across Australia

Almost 100 fires are still burning across NSW today, with dozens of blazes still not contained.

Conditions are expected to ease today to allow firefighters to conduct critical backburning operations.

What has been dubbed a "megafire" is still burning out of control north of Sydney and could take weeks to put out.

Temperatures are expected to soar across the state next week, with winds forecast to whip dangerous fire grounds.

Updates

Fire danger downgraded on Kangaroo Island, SA

A bushfire alert for a blaze threatening lives at Newland on Kangaroo Island has been downgraded, the South Australia Country Fire Service says.

The fire at Harriet Road remains under a watch and act warning as it still burns uncontrolled under severe weather conditions.

Approximately 160 hectares have been burnt as the scrub and grass fire is slowly burning in a southerly direction down both sides of Harriet Road towards East West Two Highway, CFS says.

Currently there have been no reports of any asset losses. Crews will continue firefighting operations overnight in order to contain the fire.

An emergency warning had been issued at 3.27pm and people are still advised to not enter the area.

With conditions continually changing, CFS recommends residents who are not prepared leave now to a safer place.

Driving will soon be too dangerous, CFS says. The East West One Highway is currently closed.

Kangaroo Island was under a Total Fire ban on Sunday. The fire danger rating for the region has been downgraded to severe for Monday.

Total Fire Bans are also in place in 14 other regions around the state. Two other bushfires are burning on the Lower South East region. The Mid North, Flinders and Riverland regions will remain under bans on Monday.
– Ulises Izquierdo, AAP

The Newland fire on Kangaroo Island. Picture: Country Fire Service.

Conditions ease amid Qld bushfire chaos

Fierce bushfires that swept across southeast Queensland and menaced people’s homes significantly eased on Sunday.

A watch and act warning is in place for a bushfire burning in the Burrum Coast National Park on Sunday afternoon.

Residents were being told to prepare to leave the area because the situation could get worse quickly.

The fire has impacted Goodwood Rd, near Foleys Rd and Pierson Rd, Goodwood and is travelling in a south, south-westerly direction.

An advice warning has been issued for several fires stretching across the southeast corner to the farming town of Kingaroy, 200km north of Brisbane. Those fires are at Mount Stanley, Redbank Creek, Patrick Estate on the edge of Lake Wivenhoe and Cypress Gardens.

A fire that whipped through Cypress Gardens has claimed swathes of bushland, leaving behind smouldering, blackened stumps.

Conditions have eased off, a spokeswoman for Queensland’s Fire and Emergency Services said on Sunday morning.

However the weather was expected to worsen later in the day. A high fire danger rating is in place for the Darling Downs and Granite Belt to Cape York Peninsula, and will ramp up to severe in the Northern Goldfields and Upper Flinders on Monday.

Authorities are yet to confirm if one home was destroyed in the Bundamba fire on Saturday.

A shipping container full of fireworks exploded, setting off the pyrotechnic devices, and requiring 35 crews and four aircraft to bring it under control. An emergency zone declared for the area was lifted by police overnight.

– Sonia Kohlbacher, AAP

The Cypress Gardens fire. Picture: Douglas Grist

'Thanks for everything': PM to firefighters

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has visited the "truly amazing" firefighters and staff at a control centre northwest of Sydney.

"Today I visited the NSW Rural Fire Service in Wilberforce to say thanks for everything they're doing and to get the latest update from RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons on the fires," he tweeted this afternoon.

Mr Morrison also reportedly delivered a message of thanks to the crews in the field via the radio network.

His leadership has been harshly spotlighted by international media and the latest message on social media received a similar response from Aussies.

Many commented about inaction on climate change and the delegation of funds.

One woman labelled it "a photo op – in lieu of actually doing anything".

"One stop photo op from the PM in hiding," one man said on the post.

Picture: Twitter/@RFSCommissioner

Another woman, Bronwyn Adcock, shared images on Twitter of her community left blackened by the Currowan bushfire. The blaze on the NSW South Coast is more than 77,000 hectares in size.

"Homes and property lost, entire towns evacuated for over a week, volunteers exhausted, kids missing school, people missing work, a collective community trauma. And we are just one place in many. Just FYI Prime Minister," Ms Adcock tweeted.

Picture: Twitter/@bronwyn_adcock

Lost man rescued in burnt NSW bushland

A man has been rescued in NSW after a "significant" search of bushland destroyed by bushfire, the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service says.

The crew in northern NSW joined emergency services shortly before 12.30pm today to look for a man missing in the remote area of Bulldog, southwest of Casino.

He had reportedly called to say he was lost in the area, recently scorched by bushfire, and was becoming unwell.

After a search of the area, the man was found by police. He was assessed by local paramedics and taken to Casino Hospital for observation, the WHRS said.

A bushfire more than 100,000 hectares in size is burning in the nearby Washpool and Billilimbra State Forests.

Photo perfectly captures firefighters' bravery

A photo of three firefighters battling a blaze in NSW's north has earned praise from hundreds of social media users.

The picture shows National Parks and Wildlife Service fire fighters Matt McClelland, Ray Dayman and George Barrott-Brown working to backburn a fire in Washpool, near Grafton.

The men appear to be surrounded by flames as they face the blaze in front of them.

"Back burns are conducted as part of fire containment strategies, at the direction of the incident controller," the National Parks and Wildlife Service wrote on Facebook.

Picture: Kyle Gibson

"While the photo gives the impression they are surrounded by fire, they are highly trained staff, working within safer burnt ground, with a clear path of retreat."

The incredible photo gained hundreds of comments, with many people thanking the men for their bravery.

"Just looks so overwhelming. You all do an amazing job, putting your own lives on the line to keep everyone else safe," one person said.

"You are all incredible and brave. Thanks for all your efforts," another wrote.

One added: "This photo taken by Kyle Gibson of a fire near Grafton NSW gets me choked up. The bravery of firefighters is unmeasurable."

Dutton douses call for air force fire help

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has hit back at “armchair experts” calling for air force planes to help fight bushfires raging across Australia.

Independent MP Andrew Wilkie last week said Australia’s military transport planes could deploy tank systems for water bombing.

“There are a lot of sort of armchair experts in this space,” Mr Dutton told Sky News on Sunday.

He said it wasn’t as easy as Mr Wilkie suggested for air force planes to join the firefighting effort.

Picture: Kym Smith

“It may be that it’s more efficient to engage purpose built aircraft that we contract in over the summer or over the period we’re under most threat,” Mr Dutton said.

“The experts including the defence experts make those calls and government will take that advice.”

Before entering politics, Mr Wilkie served as an infantry officer in the army. Mr Dutton said fire commissioners around the country make judgments about the resources needed for each season, but they could reassess if needed.

Bushfires have ravaged NSW and Queensland, sparking debate around climate change and resources for firefighting.

Labor is calling for the federal government to meet with states, territory and local counterparts to thrash out the response to fires.

-AAP

Canberra's air quality plummets

Canberra is covered in a thick layer of smoke today which has sent air quality plummeting across the city.

Incredible photos posted to Twitter by Loretta Foster shows a "wave of smoke" spreading across the city.

An easterly wind surge brought smoke from the NSW bushfires over to Canberra on Saturday evening.

The smoke is mainly coming from a blaze burning at Braidwood in the Southern Tablelands and is expected to stick around for the next few days.

The change has sent air quality plummeting across the city, with some areas experiencing worse air pollution than China.

2019 set to break temperature records

Even though 2019 is not over, it is tracking to be one of Australia's hottest and driest years on record.

The Bureau of Meteorology announced this year was almost certain to be one of the four warmest years on record and the annual rainfall means it is likely to be the driest year in a decade.

"The Bureau's climate outlooks indicate a strong likelihood of above-average temperatures for December 2019," the BOM said.

"Based on this climate outlook and the behaviour of recent years, it's likely the final annual mean temperature will be between 1.3C and 1.4C above average.

"That puts the annual mean temperature for 2019 on track to be one of the four warmest years on record."

'Aussie snow' falling from sky due to bushfires

The bushfires have sent ash and burnt leaves raining down across NSW, with one resident labelling it the new "Australian snow".

Pictures of burnt leaves have flooded social media as residents continue to find them right in their backyards.

Cessnock resident, Ben Howard, posted a photo of blackened leaves to Instagram, dubbing it "Australian snow".

"Australian summer snow. Not what you want to see being so dry," he wrote.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5xjMhtApop

Beaches across Sydney have also been covered in ash, with mountains of debris washing up on the sand and turning the water black.

Photos and videos from multiple beaches shows lines of ash on the shoreline and black waves lapping on the sand.

Conditions easing after Qld fire chaos

Fierce bushfires that swept across southeast Queensland and menaced people’s homes significantly eased on Saturday night.

An advice warning has been issued for seven fires stretching from the border with New South Wales to the farming town of Kingaroy, 200km north of Brisbane.

Those fires are at Mount Stanley, Redbank Creek, Patrick Estate on the edge of Lake Wivenhoe, Bundamba out near Ipswich, Maroon in the Mount Barney National Park, Carneys Creek to the west and Cypress Gardens.

A fire that whipped through Cypress Gardens has claimed swathes of bushland, leaving behind smouldering, blackened stumps.

Conditions have eased off, a spokeswoman for Queensland’s Fire and Emergency Services said on Sunday morning, however are expected to pick up later in the day.

A high fire danger rating is in place for the Darling Downs and Granite Belt to Cape York Peninsula, and will ramp up to severe in the Northern Goldfields and Upper Flinders on Monday.

One home was reportedly destroyed in the Bundamba fire on Saturday and set off an explosion in a shipping container full of fireworks.

An emergency zone declared for the area was lifted by police overnight.

-AAP

Picture: Richard Gosling/AAP

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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/climate-change/rfs-fears-megafire-raging-on-sydneys-outskirts-could-burn-for-weeks/live-coverage/d6d2d8c431570bfee11c343df2223588