‘Catastrophic’ conditions to hit Sydney for first time as bushfires rage in NSW and Queensland
Two Fire and Rescue NSW firefighters have suffered head injuries after a tree fell across their truck on the north coast amid deadly blazes.
• Three dead and 40 injured
• Five others missing have now been accounted for
• Two firefighters from Fire and Rescue NSW injured by falling tree
• More than 150 homes destroyed
• 61 fires burning in NSW, two emergency warnings
• 51 active fires in Queensland, two emergency warnings
• Victims are Vivian Chaplain, 69, Julie Fletcher, 63, and George Nole
• Sydney faces ‘catastrophic’ fire danger rating for first time
Two NSW firefighters have been injured by a tree falling across their truck on the north coast today.
The pair was helping fight a fire on Kian Road at Nambucca Heads when a falling tree hit their truck at around 3.14pm.
“One firefighter was partially outside the truck when the tree fell, causing injuries to her head and neck,” Fire and Rescue NSW Commissioner Paul Baxter said in a statement.
“The impact of the tree falling on the roof also caused head injuries to another firefighter inside the truck. Both firefighters were attended to by NSW Ambulance paramedics and have been transferred to hospital in a stable condition.”
Four emergency warnings have been issued for fires burning in NSW and Queensland this afternoon, while another on the Sunshine Coast has been downgraded to watch and act.
Queensland authorities declared an emergency for the Thornton and Lefthand Branch bushfire, southeast of Toowoomba, just after 5pm.
The fire is travelling in a north-easterly direction towards Main Camp Creek Road and “poses a threat to all lives directly in its path”.
At around 4pm, NSW authorities declared an emergency for the fire in Mount Nardi National Park, which is burning on multiple fronts towards Tuntable Falls Road in the south and Huonbrook in the east.
That came after a large fire near Bills Crossing at Crowdy Head on the mid north coast was raised to emergency warning level just before 3pm, having earlier been downgraded.
Half an hour earlier, Queensland authorities declared an emergency for a fire at Cobraball near Yeppoon on the central coast — another fire that had earlier been downgraded.
On the Sunshine Coast, the fire approaching Cooroibah, Ringtail Creek and the surrounding areas was downgraded to watch and act just before 4.30pm. Residents there should still prepare to leave.
It comes after firefighters worked through the night and into today as bushfires continued to rage across northern NSW and parts of Queensland.
They were helped by easing conditions, with temperatures cooling, winds dropping and a number of fires that were previously at emergency level being downgraded.
But that relief is only temporary.
The NSW Department of Education website has the most up to date list of school closures however if anyone is in doubt, please contact the school directly.
Students sitting their HSC exams tomorrow should contact their school if they are unsure if exams will occur, or if it is unsafe for them to reach an examination venue.
The Department warns students should not put themselves in danger for an exam. It says students unable to attend an examination due to the bushfires will not be disadvantaged.
‘CATASTROPHIC’ DANGER ON TUESDAY
Worried fire authorities are now turning their attention to preparing for Tuesday, with Sydney facing a “catastrophic” fire danger for the first time since the new ratings were introduced in 2009.
The NSW Rural Fire Service is bracing for the highest level of bushfire danger for Greater Sydney and the Greater Hunter, including the Blue Mountains and Central Coast areas.
A statewide total fire ban has been declared for all areas of NSW for all of Monday and Tuesday. Schools in high-risk areas will be closed.
“High temperatures, strong winds and low humidity are forecast, making conditions dangerous,” NSW RFS said in a statement.
“Catastrophic is the highest level of bush fire danger. Homes are not designed to withstand a fire under these conditions. If a fire starts and takes hold during catastrophic fire danger conditions, lives and homes will be at risk.”
CATASTROPHIC FIRE DANGER - Catastrophic fire danger now forecast for Greater Sydney and Greater Hunter areas on Tuesday. Large areas of state expected to see Severe or Extreme fire danger. Know what to do to reduce your risk. https://t.co/aWqC6QoZxA #nswrfs #nswfires #alert pic.twitter.com/YLEcnu8x6f
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) November 10, 2019
Large areas of the state are also forecast to experience severe and extreme fire danger, including the north coast and northern NSW areas, where there are a large number of fires already burning.
Areas facing extreme danger include the North Coast, Illawarra and Shoalhaven, Central Ranges, Northern Slopes and North Western NSW.
Severe danger areas include the Far North Coast, New England, Far South Coast, Southern Ranges and Lower Central West Plains.
Temperatures will rise back into the high thirties, winds will pick up again and a high pressure ridge coming in from the west will bring more dry air.
“We are looking at a much wider area of fire danger,” Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Abrar Shabren told news.com.au today.
Thirty-six fires across NSW are still not under control. This morning Rob Rogers, the Rural Fire Service’s Deputy Commissioner, said firefighters’ odds of containing those existing blazes before Tuesday were “not very good”.
“What we are really going to be focusing on is what’s in the path of those existing fires to ensure we can work out what we need to do to try to protect those communities on that day,” he said.
“The conditions that we are facing are going to be really dire conditions. Very hot. Really dry. Strong westerly winds.
“Don’t expect that there is going to be a fire truck coming to your home if it is threatened, simply because we do not have enough trucks to be able to cover every single possibility. So people need to think carefully about what they’re going to do on Tuesday.”
Queensland is facing the same danger.
“Tuesday for us will run into Wednesday and Thursday,” said Mike Wassing, the Acting Commissioner of the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services.
“We’ll see higher winds and dry winds and heightened fire dangers. That will run through into Wednesday for us, also into Thursday.
“It starts in the southeast part of Queensland. We have already got large fires. It will run into central Queensland, again where we had a number of significant fires overnight and yesterday afternoon.”
There are also concerns for Western Australia, where temperatures could hit 40 degrees on Tuesday.
PRIME MINISTER EXTENDS SUPPORT
Heartbreaking photos show Prime Minister Scott Morrison comforting 85-year-old Owen Whalan, who broke down in tears after losing his Koorainghat property.
Mr Morrison later tweeted that Mr Whalan was pleased his dogs survived the fire.
“We’re not out of this yet,” Mr Morrison told reporters at the Club Taree Evacuation Centre in Taree on Sunday.
“There is a long way to go and Tuesday is looking more difficult.”
Mr Morrison and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian are travelling to the state’s mid north coast region today to thank emergency service workers and volunteers, visit evacuation centres and talk to residents.
“I have to tell you, as Prime Minister, I am never more proud of Australians than in moments like these. They just show incredible spirit, incredible heart, incredible generosity. And that is what we are seeing on display,” Mr Morrison told reporters at a press conference earlier.
This is Owen. I met him at the Taree Evacuation Centre. He, like many other people, is facing an anxious time, but was pleased his dogs had survived the fire. My heart goes out to him & the people I met today, who shared their stories of heartbreak but also resilience.
— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) November 10, 2019
Although conditions have eased, we’re not out of this yet and there’s a long way to go. Please continue to remain vigilant, stay up to date on fires in your area and listen to and follow the instructions of the emergency services.
— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) November 10, 2019
“We’re not out of this yet. There is a long way to go, and Tuesday is looking more difficult.”
He said the government had approved support measures for residents affected by the fires. One of those is a support payment of $1000 for adults and $400 for children. The other is an extension of the Disaster Recovery Allowance, which provides 13 weeks of income support to compensate for loss of income.
Mr Morrison is also prepared to deploy Army reservists to help firefighting efforts, should conditions worsen again.
“Our support is simply there as a contingency. And the fact that it hasn’t needed to be called upon, I think, is a testament to the incredible co-ordinated support and resources that are coming through,” he said.
‘WE CANNOT DO IT’: CRUCIAL FIRE WARNING
RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons appeared at a press conference alongside Mr Morrison this afternoon and revealed firefighters’ efforts to “bolster” their resources in anticipation of Tuesday’s extreme weather.
“We are particularly concerned about the weather that is forecast right across parts of NSW for Tuesday. Indications are that the weather conditions will be worse than what we experienced only a few days ago,” Mr Fitzsimmons said.
“Not only will they be worse, they will be concentrated much further than just the northeastern area of NSW. We are expecting to see widespread severe and extreme fire danger ratings extending from northern NSW, from the Queensland border right down to the central west areas of NSW. In and around the greater Hunter region. Down through the greater Sydney environment. Into the Illawarra.
“So we’re talking about a very widespread area of the state that is going to be confronted with some difficult fire danger conditions.”
Another 50 trucks full of fire crews will be deployed throughout NSW on Monday night ahead of the dangerous conditions on Tuesday. They will be available to aid existing firefighting operations or combat newly formed fires.
“We really need to identify that the risk is very real for Tuesday,” said Mr Fitzsimmons.
“We cannot reiterate enough preparing now, having the bushfire survival plan, preparing your home, the conversation with your loved ones. The little things you do now could make all of the difference in the survivability of you, your loved ones and your property.
“No one can guarantee that a fire engine or a firefighter will be at your front door. We simply cannot do it.
“You can see the extraordinary events we have experienced here in recent days – never before have we had 17 emergency warning fires burning at once, all competing for resources, for support, for assistance, and the reality is we simply could not get to every individual.”
THREE PEOPLE CONFIRMED DEAD
Three people have been confirmed dead, with two bodies found near Glen Innes and one near Taree. Five others were reported missing but by Sunday afternoon authorities said all had been accounted for.
Vivian Chaplain, 69, died trying to protect her animals and home at Wytaliba, northwest of Coffs Harbour, and was found with “40-50 per cent burns to her body”.
“She was stuck and we couldn’t get to her. The loss of her has devastated our family and there was nothing we could do,” Ms Chaplain’s daughter-in-law Chrystal Harwood told the ABC.
One of Ms Harwood’s friends eventually pushed through and found Ms Chaplian unconscious near her shed. He then drove back through dangerous territory to get her to emergency services.
Firefighters performed CPR and first aid for “several hours”, according to RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons, but it was too late to save her.
The second victim, Julie Fletcher, 63, was discovered at a property in Johns River, north of Taree after packing her car and preparing to escape, according to The Daily Telegraph.
“I got a message from her at 9:30pm on Friday night saying she was putting her things in the car and getting ready to go,” Ms Fletcher’s friend Diny Khan told the newspaper.
It’s been a long day of fighting fires and our crews will continue into the night. Stay safe and keep alert Queensland. Get the latest updates from QFES social media, local TV and radio and https://t.co/Agc1w7jBoD pic.twitter.com/0Pa42tkywH
— Qld Fire & Emergency (@QldFES) November 9, 2019
The other victim, George Nole, was discovered inside a burnt out car yesterday morning at the Kangawalla fire, near Glen Innes in NSW.
The Mayor of Glenn Innes, Carol Sparks, told Channel 7 her community was “shell-shocked”.
“We are all coming to terms with the death of our friends and coming to terms with losing all of our belongings and our structures and our homes and our lives. We’re going to have to have a big rethink about the future of our community,” Ms Sparkes said.
“The flames, walls of flame that attacked us, with the wind behind it, it was terrible. All I can think about at the moment is mountains of black ash with fire coming. It’s terrible.”
More than 40 people have been injured and 150 homes destroyed.
“We cannot rule out the really great concerns that there could be more fatalities as we get through and identify details across these fire grounds,” Mr Fitzsimmons said yesterday.
RELATED: Road closures due to fires in Qld, NSW
WEATHER CONDITIONS EASE FOR NOW
There are four active emergency warnings, two in NSW and two in Queensland.
A fire at Cobraball on the Queensland central coast was returned to emergency level at around 2.30pm after being earlier downgraded to watch and act.
Residents of Cobraball, Bungundarra, Maryvale and Lake Mary have been told to leave immediately, while residents of Adelaide Park should prepare to leave.
Inland from Brisbane, a fire at Thornton and Lefthand Branch is travelling northeast towards Main Camp Creek Road and Thornton School Road.
Fire crews are working to protect properties with the assistance of waterbombing aircraft but conditions are now very dangerous and firefighters are unable to prevent the fire advancing.
The fire “poses a threat to all lives directly in its path”, QFES says.
In NSW, where there are 61 fires still burning, there is an emergency warning for Bills Crossing in the Crowdy Bay National Park on the mid north coast.
PolAir vision of the Lower Beechmont bushfire captured between 11.45pm Friday, November 8, and around 4am Saturday, November 9. pic.twitter.com/ymIeD86zEG
— Queensland Police (@QldPolice) November 10, 2019
The large fire of more than 11,700 hectares is burning in the Johns River State Forest and the Johns River area. It had been downgraded but was raised back to emergency level just before 3pm.
There is also an emergency warning for a fire burning in the Mount Nardi National Park. The fire is burning on multiple fronts towards Tuntable Falls Road in the south and Huonbrook in the east.
A fire on the Sunshine Coast approaching Cooroibah and Ringtail Creek was downgraded from emergency to watch and act just before 4.30pm.
There are still 51 fires burning in Queensland, though thankfully there have been no injuries or loss of life. A state of emergency has been declared in 42 local government areas.
That state of emergency prohibits the lighting of all types of outdoor fires.
“We’re experiencing tinderbox-like conditions across much of the state and all it takes is one spark to start a fire that may burn for days,” said Mr Wassing.
A number of fires in NSW have been downgraded, including those near Liberation Trail, Washpool, Gum Scrub and Mt Nardi.
The Hillville fire was also downgraded at 5am.
RELATED: Astonishing photos of fires from space
RELATED: New mum loses everything in fires
Conditions should continue to improve across most affected areas throughout the day, with temperatures expected to peak at 25-30 degrees.
“The winds won’t be as vigorous as yesterday, but will still be there. Maybe not that widespread, but in certain pockets in the interior of the northern tablelands,” Mr Shabren said.
Those winds will “really ease off” in the evening hours.
SURVIVORS DESCRIBE HARROWING ORDEAL
Residents have described the terror they endured as they tried to protect their properties or escape from the fires.
Kim Macdonald told The Daily Telegraph she lay in a creek for three hours, with a dog under each arm and a wet blanket over her face.
“I was completely numb, all I could hear were gas bottles exploding, and I knew my house was gone. It was really bloody scary.”
Ms Macdonald lost her home, which she’d spent the last 11 years renovating.
The Australian spoke to a homeowner named Mirek, who suffered burns to his hands and feet while protecting his own property.
He lost many of his belongings, but the house stayed standing.
“I never saw anything like that,” he said.
“I saw this massive wall of fire coming towards me with a wind gust that was knocking me off my feet. It was so strong.
“Then you could hear all the banging, with trees exploding. It was like a war.”
North Coast resident Jessica Morrison watched on from Maitland via CCTV as flames threatened her Old Bar home. She says it was incredibly scary to see this footage while she was stuck so far away. @10NewsFirstSyd #NSWfires pic.twitter.com/W7ECjcgF1n
— Amber Cunneen (@ambercunneen) November 9, 2019
All that remains of the 139-year-old Bobin Public School on the mid north coast after it was consumed by a fireball. â¦@NSWEducationâ© â¦@smitchellmlcâ© #NSWfires pic.twitter.com/6eQ0MyycPZ
— Jack Morphet (@JackMorphet) November 9, 2019
Flying out to Sydney and then off to San Francisco w @DrBridgetHarris . Terrible to see the number of fires in NSW from the plane. pic.twitter.com/EefKlVyRB4
— Dr Michael Chataway (@DrChatz) November 9, 2019
DEPUTY PM’S EXTRAORDINARY ATTACK
Deputy Prime Minister and Nationals leader Michael McCormack has slammed Greens MP Adam Bandt’s “stupid and callous comments” yesterday that the government’s climate change policies would lead to more loss of life.
“This is despicable,” Mr McCormack told the ABC.
“The fact is, at this time, as David Littleproud has just said, we want to put this above politics. People who are at risk of losing their homes or people have already lost their homes or pets, indeed lost family members, don’t need to hear politicians coming out and starting to play the same game.
“The fact is, the government does take climate change very seriously. The fact is we are meeting our international obligations and will continue to do so.
“Australians get through these because we are a resilient bunch. We stick together, we band together, we make sure that we help those in need and comments coming from a little Melbourne apartment from a little individual with a little mind should not be accepted or tolerated at this time.”
I’m deeply saddened by the loss of life. Hearts go out to all affected & to brave firefighters.
— Adam Bandt (@AdamBandt) November 9, 2019
But words & concern are not enough.
The PM does not have the climate emergency under control.
Unless we lead a global effort to quit coal & cut pollution, more lives will be lost.
Earlier on Sunday, Ms Berejiklian appeared on Channel 9 and reassured bushfire-affected residents that they would be taken care of.
“Federal and state governments have already signed off on everything we need to do to make sure people can get access to immediate funds, immediate support and accommodation,” Ms Berejiklian said.
Asked whether Mr Bandt’s comments were “a discussion we need to have down the track”, she said, “Not today. Not tomorrow. Not for the next few weeks. We need to focus on saving lives. We need to focus on supporting our communities who are doing it tough.
“I don’t think people appreciate the trauma that people are going through. Often the first couple of days, when I meet someone who has lost everything, they seem resilient. But you know that in the next few days, when the shock wears off and they face reality, that’s when we really need to provide our support, and I just ask everybody to put politics aside and just consider the human toll.”
The federal minister responsible for managing natural disasters and emergencies, David Littleproud, said money would be immediately available for victims.
“The disaster recovery payments of $1000 per adult and $400 per child will be available by midday today by Centrelink,” he said.
“We will also start arrangements in NSW to help around household goods, around also supporting charities.
“I expect the Queensland government will make an application to us in the coming 24 hours.”
Mr Littleproud urged victims not to “self-assess”, but to call Centrelink.
“They will help you. Even if you have lost everything, don’t have identification, bank cards or anything, we will get you one.”
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