Bushfire advice issued for Rum Jungle on Saturday
Residents south of Darwin have been put on alert as a bushfire burns, a day after Humpty Doo properties were ravaged by a fast-moving blaze.
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UPDATE 3PM SATURDAY: RESIDENTS of Rum Jungle have been urged to start taking action as a bushfire continues to burn in the area.
The alert level for the blaze has been upgraded to a watch and act, with Bushfires NT warning of a “heightened level of threat”.
The agency warned that crews have not been able to contain the entire perimeter of the bushfire.
It is anticipated the situation will continue until at least 5pm Saturday.
UPDATE 12 noon Saturday: BUSHFIRES NT have issued an advice alert advising the public to monitor a bushfire burning near Rum Jungle Rd, Rum Jungle.
The blaze is burning “on one or more fronts”, according to the organisation, with crews working to contain the fire.
Rum Jungle is located between Batchelor and Litchfield National Park, west of the Stuart Hwy.
Residents and motorists are being urged to be alert while on the roads, with firefighting crews potentially being parked close to the roadside.
In smokey conditions, drivers are also being urged to put their headlights on and slow down.
The bushfire is expected to continue until at least 4pm Saturday.
EARLIER: FIREFIGHTERS spent Friday bringing a raging bushfire in the Humpty Doo area, which threatened to engulf homes and left one firey needing medical help, under control.
Crews were first notified of an out-of-control fire at Redcliffe Rd shortly before 11am, with 10 fire trucks dispatched as well as volunteer firefighters, waterbombing aircraft and a helicopter.
The dramatic situation marked the first major bushfire of the season, with authorities warning conditions through August were expected to bring further days of severe fire danger.
Assistant chief fire officer Joshua Fischer said one firey needed medical attention after suffering heat exhaustion battling the flames.
Mr Fischer said a number of outbuildings and vehicles on 15 to 20 properties had been affected in Humpty Doo, as hot blustery conditions fanned flames.
“What we’ve seen is a strong south-easterly surge of fire weather,” Mr Fischer said.
“That’s brought quite strong south-easterly winds, really dry conditions and quite warm temperatures.”
Mr Fischer said Friday was the peak of the fire danger – for now – with conditions expected to ease on Saturday.
Mr Fischer said another fire burning in Virginia also stretched resources on the ground. The fire was finally brought under control late on Friday afternoon but investigations into how it started are continuing.
Fireys remained on the scene to conduct backburning and to monitor the situation.
Residents were spurred into action, with some forced to defend their homes with buckets and spades to put out spotfires.
Humpty Doo resident Sarah Winchcombe rushed to her son’s rental home to defend it against flames.
“My son rang and said ‘the place is on fire, help Mum’,” Ms Winchcombe said.
“The whole place was surrounded when I arrived. There’s probably six or seven homes across the whole properties.
“Everyone is worried about all their things.”
A nearby horse float and an unused demountable were destroyed by fire on the property but all homes were saved.
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Throughout the day, stories of homes and residents miraculously surviving unscathed as the blaze burnt through bushland emerged.
Residents Suzanne and Shane Pilkie also spent the afternoon desperately keeping flames at bay from their backyard.
The couple used buckets, a hose and sprinklers to put out spotfires and keep the garden wet around their Humpty Doo home of seven years.
Firefighters are battling a blaze in Litchfield @TheNTNewspic.twitter.com/KB8y4hHtDa
— Thomas Morgan (@thomasmorgan22) August 6, 2021
Ms Pilkie described the fireys’ working to save their property as “fantastic”.
The Top End is expected to hit 32C on Saturday.
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