Australian bushfires live coverage: Firefighter dies containing Victorian blaze
Man dies fighting Omeo blaze, becoming the fourth fire-related fatality in Victoria this bushfire season.
- Firey dies containing Victorian blaze
- Message of hope amid fire reprieve
- Tourists, go south: RFS
- NSW, Vic fires merge
- Victoria faces flooding threat
- NSW megablaze still rages
- Winds fan Victorian fires
- Kangaroo Island lodge lost
A firefighter has died in Victoria, the fourth fire-related fatality in the state this fire season.
Cooler temperatures provided emergency services much-needed time to build and maintain containment lines on Saturday, with a message of hope projected onto the sails of the Sydney Opera House on Saturday night.
While three fires by the NSW-Victorian border forming a mega blaze on Friday, the same great southerly which fanned the fires together also brought about a cooler change. Throughout Saturday these fires were downgraded from emergency level to watch-and-act status but are still yet to be contained.
As of 10pm, there was a single fire burning at emergency level in Australia, a bushfire south of Goldie Spur in Victoria.
In NSW, four fires are burning out of control hoisted to watch-and-act level, two of which were part of the mega blaze by the NSW-Victorian border.
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese wrote to Scott Morrison requesting the first parliamentary sitting day of 2020 be one dedicated to honouring firefighters and bushfire victims.
NSW Rural Fire Service has called on tourists to return to the south coast which saw thousands of tourists evacuated on New Year’s Eve. In Shoalhaven and the south coast, weather conditions have “improved” and the fire risk “had eased”.
In Victoria, electricians raced across the state in an attempt to restore power to almost 2000 homes in fire-affected areas.
The ADF delivered much needed diesel, unleaded petrol and liquefied petroleum gas to Mallacoota, where much of the town is without power and relying on diesel-powered generators.
Eased weather conditions are not set to last with joint Operation Bushfire Assist leader, Army Major General Jake, warning harsh conditions were forecast as early as Monday.
Combined efforts from local and international emergency services has seen over 5000 personnel from Australia, New Zealand, the US and Canada join the fire fight in NSW alone. On Saturday around 2800 firefighters were on duty across the state.
Earlier this week the Singaporean Armed Forces deployed 42 personnel and two military helicopters from the joint defence-operated aviation centre in Oakey, Queensland to Victoria and 100 Papua New Guinea Defence Force troops will arrive as early as Monday.
Remy Varga 10.29pm: Firefighter dies containing Victorian blaze
A Victorian firefighter has died while working on a bushfire in the state’s alpine region.
Emergency Management Victoria confirmed the Parks Victoria firefighter died while working on a bushfire near the Omeo area.
Forest Fire Management Victoria Chief Fire Officer Chris Hardman said support was being offered to the firefighter’s loved ones.
“Family and fellow emergency personnel are being informed and will be supported,” he said.
“The safety and wellbeing of our people is our highest priority.”
The latest death brings the fire toll in Victoria to four.
Joseph Lam 8.53pm: Message of hope amid fire reprieve
The Sydney Opera House has lit its sails in an array of support for the bushfire crisis.
The iconic Opera House sails have displayed images of hope in a tribute to firefighters, the lives lost, thousands of homes ruined, hundreds of structures damaged and the millions of hectares burnt since the beginning of the fire season.
Opera House chief executive Louise Herron told the Sydney Morning Herald that “as difficult circumstances continue, we want to send a message of hope and strength to the people of Australia.
“We are lighting the Opera House sails to show our collective support for everyone affected by these devastating fires and to express our deepest gratitude to the emergency services and volunteers for their incredible efforts and courage,” she said.
The projection comes amid a weakened fire threat in the state, with the only NSW fire district with a ‘very high’ fire danger rating on Sunday to be north western. Six districts on or west of the Diving Range have ‘high’ fire danger.
Some 2097 homes, 216 schools and other facilities and 4287 sheds and other outbuildings have been destroyed since July, according to the latest building assessment count issued on Saturday.
That includes 1163 homes, 144 facilities and 2179 outbuildings since New Year’s Eve.
An emergency warning remains in place in Victoria for Buckland, Dandongadale, Mount Buffalo as the fire south of Goldie Spur burns out of control. It is moving in a north-easterly direction into the Buckland Valley.
With AAP
6.45pm: Four to be charged over fires
Four people are expected to be charged for lighting fires during total fire bans in Victoria.
Police say they interviewed a 70-year-old Longford woman on Friday after she lit a fire in a paddock to burn off rubbish.
A 21-year-old Narre Warren man and a 37-year-old Dromana man and were earlier interviewed after separate instances of lighting fires in camp areas to cook a meal.
A 50-year-old man was also spoken to by police after he lit a fire in a fire pit at Golden Beach.
It’s alleged the man became abusive towards Country Fire Authority members when they extinguished the fire.
All four were released and are expected to be charged at a later date, police said.
AAP
Joseph Lam 6.20pm: Emergency-level fire returns in Victoria
A fire is burning out of control south of Goldie Spur in Victoria, the first fire raised to extreme level following a mostly calm afternoon.
The emergency warning has been issued for Brookside, Buckland, Mount Buffalo and Buckland Junction. Vic Emergency has urged residents in the area to leave now “before conditions become too dangerous”.
EMERGENCY WARNING - BUSHFIRE
— VicEmergency (@vicemergency) January 11, 2020
This Emergency Warning is being issued for Brookside, Buckland, Mount Buffalo, Buckland Junction.
Leaving now is the safest option, before conditions become too dangerous.
More details at https://t.co/LpNyEgGm7D pic.twitter.com/bLC7bo9ayW
Kieran Gair 4.50pm: Tourists, go south: RFS
The NSW Rural Fire Service has encouraged tourists to return to the state’s far south coast after thousands were ordered to evacuate on New Year’s Eve.
SOUTH COAST OPEN FOR BUSINESS After assessments today, it has been decided that visitors may now return to areas of the Shoalhaven & South Coast.
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) January 11, 2020
People wishing to take advantage of the tourist areas are advised to contact their destination before setting off. #NSWRFS pic.twitter.com/4VhRXJibBt
The RFS said weather conditions had “improved” and the fire risk “had eased,” with many villages and towns in the Bega Valley and Eurobodalla regions now “safe to visit.”
“There are many areas that are now safe for people to visit,” Inspector Angus Barnes said in a statement.
“We encourage visitors to make contact with their accommodation providers to confirm they are open for business.”
The Eurobodalla Shire Council, which stretches from Batemans Bay in the north to Tilba Tilba in the south, described the update as “brilliant news for our local businesses.”
Tourism is a significant contributor to the regions’ economies, as well as a major employer.
Tourists spent $387 million in the Eurobodalla shire in 2018, while the nearby shire of Shoalhaven raked in $713 million from tourists in the same year.
Almost one in 10 people living on the south coast work in the tourism industry, including those employed across retail, accommodation, cafes and restaurants, and cultural and recreational services.
Joseph Lam 3.15pm: Weekend relief the effort of emergency management: Army general
Major General Jake Elwood, who is overseeing the Australian Defence Force’s joint effort in the bushfire crisis, has said the sigh of relief over the weekend is not “good luck” but the effort of our emergency management services.
“I must say, while we haven’t seen the potential catastrophic effects that we potentially expected, that’s not through good luck, that has been through the wonderful work of our emergency management services,” he said.
As of today the Army has flown in 15,800 litres of diesel, 4800 litres of unleaded petrol and 108 45kg bottles of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to the fire-ravaged area of Mallacoota in Victoria. The Air Force has flown in 414,000 pounds of cargo and moved 1110 personnel in bushfire efforts to date.
General Elwood has said conditions are set to flare up again on Tuesday in South Australia and also in Victoria where 100 troops from the Papua New Guinea Defence Force will join bushfire efforts as early as tomorrow.
Foreign forces have contributed three New Zealand defence helicopters as well as an NZDF C130 which joined bushfire efforts today. The Singaporean Armed Forces contributed two chinook aircraft and 42 personnel from the joint defence-operated Oakey Army Aviation Centre in Queensland.
There are currently 3000 army personnel and 2016 reservists on duty.
Kieran Gair 2pm: Victorian bushfire merges with megablaze
Fatigued fire crews are now battling on two fronts an out of control bushfire that has stretched across the border and is threatening communities in NSW and Victoria.
The northern tip of the bushfire near Corryong, east of Albury-Wodonga, has merged with the mega-blaze in NSW, which is made up of the Green Valley, Dunns Road and East Ournie Creek fires.
That fire is more than 700,000 hectares in size and is being managed by both the Rural Fire Service in NSW and the Country Fire Authority in Victoria.
A Watch and Act alert is in place for the Corryong and Dunns Road mega-blaze on the Victorian side of the border, while the warning in NSW is currently at Advice level.
Meanwhile, there is still one emergency warning in place for the upper alpine villages around Mount Hotham in Victoria.
Residents in Davenport Village, Dinner Plain, Flourbag and Hotham Heights are being warned it’s “too late to leave” and they must “take shelter indoors” to survive.
Kieran Gair 1.45pm: Victoria struggles to restore power
Electricians are racing across areas in fire-affected Victoria to restore power to about 1950 homes, 1100 of which are in East Gipsland.
The Australian Defence Force today flew in 30 tradespeople to assist with recovery efforts in Corryong.
A generator has been supplying parts of the town since New Year’s Eve after a deadly bushfire ripped through the region and destroyed dozens of homes and damaged critical infrastructure.
The ADF is also flying desperately needed supplies to Mallacoota, including 4000 litres of unleaded fuel.
Chinook loaded with 4000 litres of unleaded fuel leaving East Sale RAAF Base now to re-supply Mallacoota region. #YourADF has been flying in fuel, food, people & other essential supplies whenever weather has allowed for more than a week @DeptDefence @AustralianArmy #lovegippsland pic.twitter.com/mNOQTEzfuG
— Darren Chester MP (@DarrenChesterMP) January 11, 2020
Kieran Gair 1.25pm: SA Premier reaches Kangaroo Island
South Australian Premier and newly-minted Tourism Minister, Steven Marshall, has arrived at Emu Bay Lavender Farm on Kangaroo Island.
Mr Marshall has taken over the state’s tourism portfolio to lead the sector’s recovery after bushfires destroyed one-third of the world-renowned island.
In Adelaide Hills, a number of wine producers suffered significant losses to vineyards and production facilities when a fatal bushfire ravaged the region in December last year.
“Recent and ongoing bushfires have impacted our tourism operators, small businesses and farmers,” Mr Marshall said.
“We are focused on doing everything we can to support them as they get back on their feet.”
South Australia’s tourism industry is worth an estimated $7.6 billion, employing almost 40,000 people.
Kieran Gair 1.15pm: Battle to save Buddhist monastery
Fire crews battling a blaze near Bundanoon in the NSW Southern Highlands managed to save the main Pagoda of the Sunnataram Forest Monastery on Friday after a bushfire threatened to destroy the sacred Buddhist site for the second time in just one week.
“Great work by bombers and ground crews yesterday at the Sunnataram Forest Monastery near Penrose in the Southern Highlands,” the Rural Fire Service tweeted on Saturday.
“A number of outbuildings have been lost however the main pagoda has been saved.”
Great work by water bombers and ground crews yesterday at the Sunnataram Forest Monastery near Penrose in the southern highlands. A number of outbuildings were unfortunately lost however the main Pagoda has been saved. #nswrfs #nswfires pic.twitter.com/xVi4aOtFlL
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) January 11, 2020
In a statement on its website, the Sunnataram Forest Monastery team said most of the ladies’ accommodation in the monastery was burnt down. “We won’t know what else was damaged until further inspection.”
The monastery’s leaders also thanked the “selfless firefighters” for their efforts to “save many lives and properties”.
“May the Buddha’s blessings be with you and all of us,” the statement read.
Joseph Lam 1.05pm: Opera House lights up in support
The Sydney Opera House will tonight illuminate its sails in an array of support for the bushfire crisis.
From 8.30pm to 11pm on Saturday, the iconic Opera House sails will display images of hope in a tribute to the lives lost, thousands of homes ruined, hundreds of structures damaged and the millions of hectares burnt since the beginning of the fire season.
Opera House chief executive Louise Herron told the Sydney Morning Herald that “as difficult circumstances continue, we want to send a message of hope and strength to the people of Australia.
“We are lighting the Opera House sails to show our collective support for everyone affected by these devastating fires and to express our deepest gratitude to the emergency services and volunteers for their incredible efforts and courage,” she said.
On March 16, the Sydney Opera House will also partner with Live Nation to present an outdoor comedy gala raising funds for bushfire-affected areas.
Comedy Steps Up for Bushfire Relief will feature Kitty Flanagan, Arj Barker, Carl Barron and a number of other comedians.
To help raise money for fire affected communities, @LiveNationOzNz and the Sydney Opera House present ‘Comedy Steps Up for Bushfire Relief’, an outdoor gala on the Opera House Forecourt on March 16, featuring @timminchin, @UrzilaCarlson, @joelcreasey, @arjbarker plus more.
— Sydney Opera House (@SydOperaHouse) January 10, 2020
Joseph Lam 12.30pm: Cooler temperatures a ‘great sense of relief’
As of 12pm there were 136 fires burning across NSW, 59 of which were uncontained. However there are no fires burning at emergency level in the state.
The great southerly which fanned a 600,000ha megablaze by the NSW-Victorian border on Friday has also provided cooler conditions on Saturday.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said there was a “great sense of relief” at the NSW Rural Fire Service headquarters, with weather predictions for the next seven days set to ease.
Weather conditions are expected to ease over the next 7 days giving crews some relief. But we can’t afford to be complacent. Please stay alert and listen to any warnings. #NSWfires pic.twitter.com/vqZfCjIdo3
— Gladys Berejiklian (@GladysB) January 10, 2020
Overnight, no lives were lost and no substantial property damage was recorded. Today, about 2800 firefighters are on duty, building and assisting containment lines.
Despite cooler conditions, at 12pm there are still 136 fires burning, 59 are not contained. Conditions have eased across all firegrounds and cooler weather is forecast for the coming 7 days. Around 2,800 firefighters continue to work to build containment lines.#nswfires #nswrfs pic.twitter.com/gRQHJg7BYa
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) January 11, 2020
Kieran Gair 12pm: Travel warning for Americans a harmful exaggeration
Americans destined for Australia are being ordered to “exercise caution” after Washington issued a fresh travel warning to its 327 million citizens of the ongoing danger posed by bushfires and “poor air quality”.
The advisory has led the Federal and Queensland governments to appeal directly to US President Donald Trump amid fears the warning is “inappropriate” and puts Australia on the same level as Hong Kong, Papua New Guinea and Myanmar.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has passionately pleaded with the US leader to reconsider the warning, which she claimed could be damaging to the tourism industry at a delicate time.
“The last thing we need is for international tourists to think that the entire country of Australia is not safe to visit,” Ms Palaszczuk wrote.
Read the full story here.
Kieran Gair 11.45am: Labor urges bushfire tribute in parliament
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has urged the Prime Minister to dedicate the first parliamentary sitting of 2020 to thanking firefighters and mourning victims of Australia’s national bushfire crisis.
Mr Albanese said he had written to Scott Morrison seeking support for a motion of condolence when parliament resumed on February 4.
“It would be appropriate, as I have written to the prime minister, that the first and indeed only item of business on that first sitting day would be a motion of condolence,” he said on Saturday.
“It should acknowledge the loss of life, those who have been injured and those who have lost properties and everything that they own.”
Labor’s shadow cabinet had agreed on Thursday to help pass any new legislation dealing with bushfire recovery and reconstruction, Mr Albanese said. “We will facilitate the passage of that on the first week if any legislation is necessary, and I have asked the prime minister for advice on that.”
Mr Albanese also seized on Friday’s climate change protests in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth to attack the government.
“It would help if we had a government that actually acknowledged climate change and did not play around with it,” he said.
“The government does not have a credible climate change policy … it doesn’t have an energy policy at all.”
On Friday, Mr Morrison rejected criticism of the Coalition’s climate change policies and said it was “disappointing” people were conflating the bushfire crisis with Australia’s emission reduction targets.
“We don’t want job-destroying, economy-destroying, economy-wrecking targets and goals,” he told radio station 2GB on Friday. “That won’t change the fact that there have been bushfires or anything like that in Australia.”
Joseph Lam 11.45am: Two charged after alleged theft from bushfire-affected business
NSW Police have charged two people after property allegedly stolen from bushfire-affected areas was found on the south coast.
The south coast Police District and Southern Region Enforcement Squad executed two search warrants in Tilba Tilba and Narooma on Friday, finding a number of electrical items believed to have come from a fire-ravaged business in Batemans Bay.
A 38-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman were arrested in conjunction with the alleged thefts, believed to have taken place on Wednesday, January 8.
They were charged with two counts of entering a building with intent to commit an indictable offence, two counts of larceny, disposal of property. The man has also been charged with possession of prohibited drugs.
They will face Batemans Bay Court today.
Two people have been charged after property alleged to have been stolen during recent bushfires was located on the state’s South Coast. https://t.co/LL1u6IRPRU
— NSW Police Force (@nswpolice) January 10, 2020
Kieran Gair 10.55am: Fire-ravaged Victoria faces flash flooding threat
Residents in Victoria’s fire-ravaged north east are now facing a “bizarre” new threat: flash flooding.
Victorian Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville said parts of East Gippsland were facing a real possibility of flash flooding after an overnight deluge brought 18mm of rain to scorched areas in Bairnsdale in less than an hour.
“The problem with flash flooding is that given the scale of the burn out there, you see massive run-off,” Ms Neville said.
“It sounds bizarre in this situation where you have fire … but severe thunderstorms after a bushfire can lead to flash flooding.”
Ms Neville said the potential for lethal flash flooding was a “real risk” and authorities would be “monitoring” conditions closely.
“In the past we have seen deaths as the result of those sorts of conditions,” she said.
Yesterdays cold front brought rain to most of #Victoria, with the best falls in the south. Warburton saw the highest total of 29.2mm, while #Melbourne also saw 15.6mm, the highest 24-hour to 9am total recorded since December 2018🌧ï¸! https://t.co/aEcVgCec72 pic.twitter.com/1rFoxohKYs
— Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria (@BOM_Vic) January 10, 2020
In the Victorian Alps, a fire near Mount Hotham remains at emergency level and there are 16 Watch and Act alerts from Mallacoota to Bairnsdale.
Victorian Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp said the fire danger remains “very high” in the state’s north and north east.
“It is a tale of two states at the moment in terms of temperatures and conditions,” he said.
“You get north of that divide and we have temperatures of 30 plus, south of the divide is somewhat cooler and somewhat milder.”
Victoria’s state of disaster will end at midnight on Saturday.
The @Science_Academy acknowledges the devastating impact the #AusFires are having—& will continue to have—on people, our environment and economy.
— Australian Academy of Science (@Science_Academy) January 10, 2020
The scale of these #bushfires is unprecedented.https://t.co/GyMhmIW3SS#auspol
Kieran Gair 10am: Megablaze an ‘unrelenting’ threat
Exhausted fire crews are facing a new round of supercharged bushfires that are straddling the NSW and Victorian border after “three or four” blazes merged to create a 600,000 hectare “megablaze” south of the Snowy Mountains.
NSW Rural Fire Service Deputy Commissioner, Rob Rogers, said the threat was “unrelenting” and residents across the state must remain “vigilant.”
He said fire crews would use a small window of opportunity to “take advantage” of easing weather conditions today as crews race to temper deadly infernos burning near the state’s south coast and to the east of Albury.
“The Green Valley fire has merged with the Dunns Road fire … there’s about three or four of them that have merged together,” Mr Rogers told ABC TV.
“It is burning in quite a difficult area to get to, so we will be working obviously to try and get some containment on that fire.”
Advice: Erskine Creek fire (Blue Mountains LGA)
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) January 10, 2020
The predicted southerly wind change did not eventuate across the fireground, which has seen easing fire activity.
Crews will work to strengthen containment lines and use more favourable conditions to undertake back burning #nswrfs pic.twitter.com/YZuR7GpEiV
The Green Valley blaze in Talmalmo is currently burning at a Watch and Act level, while the Dunns Road fire and East Ournie Creek bushfires are burning at Advice level.
Conditions in the fire-ravaged region north of Mount Kosciuszko have eased slightly after a southerly change swept across the region just after 5am.
“Firefighters are now doing really important containment work, including backburning and creating mineral earth lines with the assistance of aircraft,” Angela Burford from the RFS said.
“When they’re that big we need to prioritise areas near property and important infrastructure.”
Ms Burford said NSW authorities were liaising with their Victorian counterparts amid concerns the Dunns Road fire could merge with the Corryong blaze in Victoria, as well as the Abbeyard fire and the fatal East Gippsland blaze.
“It’s certainly a big project,” Ms Burford said. “We have a really good working relationship with neighbouring states and have cross-border arrangements in place to deal with this type of situation.”
Grassfire - Advice for Beechworth-Wodonga Rd, Wodonga. For more info: https://t.co/JRxxGrBX40 #vicfires
— CFA Updates (@CFA_Updates) January 10, 2020
9.10am: Weather brings temporary respite for Victoria
Victoria’s bushfire crisis has eased for now, with only one emergency warning still in place.
Favourable weather gave a reprieve to firefighters working through the night to contain blazes raging in the alpine and East Gippsland regions. Conditions overnight were better than expected after fears on Friday that the cool change could worsen the fire situation.
Victoria’s Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp warned this morning that it was only a temporary respite, with 20 fires burning across the state and 16 watch and act warnings also still active.
“We still have very, very active fires in those areas,” he told the ABC.
WATCH & ACT - BUSHFIRE
— VicEmergency (@vicemergency) January 10, 2020
Incident Location: 8Km ESE Of Abbeyard
Issue Date: Friday 10 January 2020, 10:47 pm
Next Update: Saturday 11 January 2020, 04:30 pm
More details at https://t.co/SoYZHhHZOu pic.twitter.com/SurukVBUB0
The emergency warning remains for the Abbeyard fire near Mt Hotham, but a night of rain in the area helped.
Mr Crisp said the rain would bring its own problems, with the risk of flash flooding for firefighters.
He added that while milder weather means the immediate danger is over, the ongoing crisis will persist.
“We have nothing in the next five-seven days … but we have a long, long way to go,” he said of the weather forecast.
AAP
8.45am: Homes saved from NSW megablaze
A man has been seriously injured but no homes have been destroyed as authorities breathe a sigh of relief following a “difficult” night of dangerous NSW bushfire conditions.
NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said a man was seriously injured on Friday night while defending his property from a bushfire near Tumbarumba, southwest of Canberra.
“That person has suffered some very serious burns,” he told reporters at the RFS headquarters on Saturday morning.
“They were treated on scene and they were extricated in one of the water bombing helicopters that was working down there.” The man was transferred to the Concord Hospital burns unit in Sydney and will undergo surgery today.
Four firefighters were also injured after they were “overrun by fire” while battling the Adaminaby blaze northwest of Cooma.
“They were treated by ambulance. They were triaged and treated last night and they have been released,” Mr Fitzsimmons said.
Building Impact Assessment continue assessing the damage to properties in fire affected areas. This season 2,079 homes destroyed, more than 24,000 buildings saved. 1,163 homes lost since 1 Jan. Figure likely to increase as teams work through the area. #nswrfs #nswfires pic.twitter.com/q7shK7fIuz
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) January 10, 2020
More than 3500 firefighters were deployed throughout Friday night, battling a strong wind change that brought 90km/h gusts to dozens of dangerous fire grounds.
Three bushfires burning in the south on Friday evening merged to create a massive blaze in the Snowy Mountains region after being fanned by strong winds. The 233,000-hectare Green Valley fire merged with the nearby East Ournie Creek blaze and the huge 312,000 hectare-Dunns Road fire, which were all at emergency level at one point on Friday night.
Initial reports indicated no homes were destroyed overnight but some sheds have been damaged, Mr Fitzsimmons said.
At 6am, there are 147 bush and grass fires burning across NSW, 65 still to be contained. Conditions have eased across most firegrounds with only 1 fire at Watch and Act.
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) January 10, 2020
Today crews will make the most of more favourable conditions to work on containing these fires. #nswrfs pic.twitter.com/dYXEHd0ZLR
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said authorities were “incredibly relieved” to have come through the night relatively unscathed.
As of 6am on Saturday there were 147 bushfires burning across NSW, with 65 of those uncontained and none burning at an “emergency” level.
Firefighters will use forecast milder conditions over the next five to seven days to strengthen bushfire containment lines.
AAP
7.50am: Bushfire victims denied Centrelink payments
Some NSW bushfire victims are reportedly being denied relief payments due to outdated maps and technicalities.
Centrelink has knocked back applications for $1000 tax-free disaster recovery payments due to old maps showing fire victims did not live in areas officially declared to be bushfire-affected.
Some workers have also been denied payments despite having their hours cut due to fire danger, power outages, road closures and evacuations, Nine reported.
Another blow for residents around fire-ravaged Mogo, who say they've been denied disaster payments - because Centrelink claims the fire didn't burn there. @jekearsley #9News pic.twitter.com/3pmKqUcB9k
— Nine News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) January 10, 2020
The government has made more than $34 million in payments and allowances on more than 28,600 claims.
Government Services Minister Stuart Robert said some individual cases had been rectified but he would not say how many people had been knocked back. A Department of Home Affairs spokesperson said people needed to provide detailed information about how their employers were impacted by the fires. “We encourage them to contact us to discuss their circumstances in detail,” they said in a statement.
AAP
7am: Alleged looters charged
Two people have been charged after property alleged to have been stolen from a fire-damaged business in Bateman’s Bay was located on the state’s south coast.
Executing a search warrant at a Narooma home yesterday, police found a number of electrical items.
A 38-year-old man has been charged with two counts of enter building/land with intent to commit indictable offence, two counts of larceny, dispose property — theft serious indictable offence, and possess prohibited drug.
A 31-year-old woman has been charged with two counts of enter building/land with intent to commit indictable offence, two counts of larceny, and two counts of dispose property — theft serious indictable offence.
Both were refused bail and will appear at Batemans Bay Local Court later today.
Narooma: A police hunt is underway for looters targeting homes abandoned after last week's devastating bushfires. https://t.co/5YjEMrtojN #NSWFires #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/n6A9v2qjsQ
— 7NEWS Sydney (@7NewsSydney) January 10, 2020
6.30am: Firefighters battle NSW megablaze
NSW fire crews and communities are bracing to see the impact of dangerous fire conditions which were fanned by strong and gusty winds throughout Friday night.
Rural Fire Service spokesman Anthony Bradstreet said more than 3500 firefighters were deployed throughout night as they battled a strong wind change which brought 90km/h gusts to dozens of dangerous fire grounds.
“We will see the full impact of the fires reveal itself tomorrow (on Saturday),” he said.
At 6am, there are 147 bush and grass fires burning across NSW, 65 still to be contained. Conditions have eased across most firegrounds with only 1 fire at Watch and Act.
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) January 10, 2020
Today crews will make the most of more favourable conditions to work on containing these fires. #nswrfs pic.twitter.com/dYXEHd0ZLR
Three bushfires burning in the south on Friday evening merged to create a massive blaze in the Snowy Mountains region after being fanned by strong winds. The 233,000-hectare Green Valley fire merged with the nearby East Ournie Creek blaze and the huge 312,000 hectare-Dunns Road fire which were all at emergency level last night.
Mr Bradstreet said the fires were burning very quickly and could impact rural properties in the area.
The south-westerly wind change reached Moruya about 11pm and Sydney about 2am today.
The RFS was also concerned about the Erskine Creek blaze which is an extension of the Green Wattle Creek fire near the Blue Mountains.
It was put at watch-and-act level on Friday evening because of fears strong winds could move it towards Leura and Wentworth Falls.
Conditions are due to ease later today, with showers and isolated thunderstorms in coastal parts and adjacent ranges expected. About 65 of the 137 bushfires burning around NSW are uncontained. The number of homes confirmed destroyed since January 1 has increased to 1079, the RFS said on Friday.
At least 1995 homes have been lost since the start of the fire season. Another 816 have been damaged.
Since July, 20 people including three firefighters, 6200 livestock and millions of wild animals have died in the NSW bushfires.
AAP
6.15am: Wind change fans Victorian bushfires
Firefighters have worked through the night in an effort to contain bushfires raging in Victoria’s alpine and East Gippsland regions.
A south-westerly wind change moved through the east and northeast of the state yesterday, causing increased and erratic fire activity.
WATCH & ACT - BUSHFIRE
— VicEmergency (@vicemergency) January 10, 2020
Incident Location: 13km WNW of Walwa
Issue Date: Friday 10 January 2020, 11:59 pm
Next Update: Saturday 11 January 2020, 10:00 am
More details at https://t.co/d1ioPd1q6Q pic.twitter.com/f0LKsPJIS0
At one point, 10 emergency warnings and three evacuation orders were issued. Towns like Bright along the Great Alpine Road were eerily quiet as the wind picked up dramatically on Friday afternoon, with smoke from a fire near Abbeyard spilling over parts of the ranges of the Mount Buffalo National Park.
While the winds are expected to move through by this morning, Premier Daniel Andrews warned residents to stay alert and to heed warnings.
“If you are told to leave a community, and you can leave, then you should leave. It’s the least we can all do to support those that are putting their lives on the line to keep the rest of us safe,” he told reporters.
There are more than 20 active fires burning across the state and more than 1.3 million hectares have been razed since November 21.
The fires have killed three men, while 286 homes and 400 other buildings have been damaged.
Forest Fires Management worker Mat Kavanagh, 43, died when his vehicle crashed on the Goulburn Valley Highway on January 3.
Mick Roberts from Buchan and Maramingo Creek man Fred Becker had been killed in the fires at East Gippsland on New Year’s Day.
AAP
6am: Counting cost on Kangaroo Island
A popular holiday lodge at Vivonne Bay on Kangaroo Island has been lost along with other properties in the south coast town.
Bushfires are still burning in some areas but the Country Fire Service has reduced its warnings to a simple bushfire alert.
Cooler conditions and rain on Friday allowed firefighters to stop most of its forward spread.
It’s now destroyed more than 170,000 hectares along with dozens of houses and hundreds of other buildings as well as claiming two lives since it was first sparked by lightning more than two weeks ago.
Ferry operator SeaLink, which also runs Vivonne Bay Lodge, said the facility had suffered significant damage.
“Everyone at SeaLink is saddened by this loss of property,” the company said. “We are committed to supporting recovery efforts to rebuild Island infrastructure and tourism including re-establishing operations from Vivonne Bay Lodge as soon as practical.
“We are thankful that many homes in Vivonne Bay have been saved due to the tireless and outstanding efforts of emergency service personnel.”
Also spared for a second time within a week was the central island town of Parndana where a number of residents had decided to stay and defend. The fire came within about 15km of the island’s largest town of Kingscote before the situation eased.
CFS chief officer Mark Jones said while crews were now getting the upper hand in most areas, the fires would not be completely extinguished in the short term.
“The changing conditions should allow crews to be successful in reducing spread today and controlling the fires,” he said.
“They will not be extinguished today, I would not want anyone to take false hope from that.
“This is an ongoing and lengthy operation.”
AAP
5.45am: Two charged over charity tin theft
A man and woman are expected to be charged with theft after they allegedly stole a charity tin full of funds for victims of the recent bushfires from a fast food restaurant in Melbourne.
Police say the 41-year-old woman and 37-year-old man, both from Drouin, entered the Frankston fast food store on Nepean Highway about 9.30pm on Monday. While in the store the pair made their way to the front counter and positioned themselves near the charity tin.
The man then allegedly grabbed the tin and placed it the woman’s handbag. The duo were arrested in Dandenong last night and are expected to be charged with theft.
AAP
More Coverage
Youth mental health a worry for families
Concerned about a young loved one’s mental health? You’re not alone, and starting a conversation about it with them is challenging. Here’s some advice on what do.
Restaurateur charged over Nazi sign at protest
High-profile restaurateur Alan Yazbek has been revealed as the protester arrested after allegedly holding up a swastika sign at a pro-Palestine rally.