Tennant Creek residents describe ‘anxiety’ as the biggest bushfire in living memory edges closer to town
Residents in the remote Northern Territory town of Tennant Creek have described their ‘anxiety’ as an enormous blaze burns on the horizon, inching closer.
Alice Springs
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Tennant Creek residents have described a prevailing sense of “anxiety” as the glow of an enormous fire burns on the horizon.
An emergency declaration has been issued for Tenant Creek as the enormous firefront that has already burnt through 10,000 sqkm of grassland, sits 30km away from the town.
Tennant Creek resident Kate Foran said this was one of the worst blazes in living memory, with older residents saying they had not seen one this savage since the 1980s.
“I’ve been here 22 years and I’ve never experienced a fire approaching like this,” she said.
Ms Foran said there was the clear taste of smoke in the air, while residents could watch the glow of the fire on the horizon from the lookout point at night.
“Everyone is feeling anxious,” Mr Foran said.
Ms Foran said most people had started planning for the worst, preparing go-bags with essential supplies, clothes and documents.
“I don’t think we’ll need to evacuate, but you don’t know which way the wind is going to swirl,” she said.
Barkly Regional Council Mayor Jeff McLaughlin said with the blaze only 30km east of the town, the wind picking up and “smoke in the air”, some residents were starting to get nervous.
However he advised everyone to remain calm.
“We don’t want people to freak out,” Mr McLaughlin said.
“Stay inside, have your plans ready for the worst.
“No one should travel at all — unless it’s an emergency.”
Mr McLaughlin said he was not “super, super concerned” as of Tuesday afternoon, with the Gosse River, three containment lines and previously burnt land separating the flames from the town.
He said “all the pros” were on the ground, with Territory and interstate firefighters, waterbombing teams and the Australian Defence Force deployed.
“We have everyone but Mr T out here,” he said.
He said if it took a turn for the worst, the town was ready to evacuate street-by-street saying “every road, every track is a firebreak”.
“But we’re well away from that at the moment.”
As the Lions Club president, Ms Foran said volunteers spent Tuesday morning preparing hundreds of sandwiches for emergency services personnel.
Her voice started to shake as she described the massive response by Territory and interstate emergency response teams.
“You feel the love, you feel the regard,” he said.
“Tennant Creek is not a well-loved place, you only have to look online.
“(But) it’s a great little community.
“We’re a long way away from any major services, so to have people come from interstate to help us is just beautiful.”
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