Defence chopper ignites fierce fire in Canberra

The worst fire to hit Canberra since 2003 has grown to about 9500-hectares after a Defence helicopter started the blaze.

A fire rages south of Canberra. Picture: Josh Cox

The worst fire to hit Canberra since 2003 has grown to about 9500-hectares as the city faces worsening fire conditions.

The blaze in Canberra’s south, started by a defence helicopter, has been downgraded from emergency to a “watch and act level” but authorities warned that dangerous bushfire conditions would see it continue into the weeks ahead.

A few views from Australia’s capital, Canberra, just now.. pic.twitter.com/2Y09wgYFF3

— Hanny Hawkins (@hanny_hawkins) January 28, 2020

The Department of Defence confirmed the out-of-control fire threatening homes was likely to have been caused by the landing light of one of its helicopters during a ground clearance operation.

The blaze is the most serious the nation's capital has faced since the deadly 2003 fires. Picture: Dave Moore

The fire in Namadgi National Park is heading east and northeast towards Canberra and growing at a rate of 400 hectares per hour..

It spanned 1000-hectares in Namadgi National Park on Tuesday night.

Orroral Valley fire, view from Davidson’s Trig#orroralvalleyfire #canberrafirespic.twitter.com/t0fx1k3QuQ

— Julian Evans (@FocusNewsNow) January 28, 2020

ACT Emergency Services Agency incident controller Matthew Shonk told ABC radio on Wednesday that the fire was not expected to reach emergency levels today, but a heatwave ahead could make it is a “challenging” weekend for firefighters.

We can’t sugar coat that in any way,” he said.

“The conditions that we saw yesterday could well pop up again ... There’s challenging times coming up, we’re not going to get this fire out today and not tomorrow, this is a campaign fire and we’ll be working for some time.”

Residents in Tharwa have been told to remain vigilant. While residents in the far-southern Canberra suburbs of Banks, Gordon, Condor, Calwell and Theodore are told to monitor conditions.

The Bureau of Meteorology forecast a very high fire danger rating on Wednesday and reported that residents would experience thick smoke haze this morning.

The BoM also forecast challenging weather into the week ahead, with low humidity and temperatures set to stay in the high 30s, rising to 42C on Friday.

Mr Shonk said those residents must remain vigilant but the ACT ESA hopes to “take advantage” of changing winds which could blow the fire away from urban Canberra.

“”They are not out of the woods by any stretch,” he told ABC radio.

“However, we are thinking that today will be a milder day than yesterday and we’re hoping to take advantage of that.”

Defence helicopter started blaze

The chopper’s crew had been conducting aerial reconnaissance and ground clearance to enable access for emergency services personnel, who were conducting bushfire prevention measures in the ACT’s Namadgi National Park, when the blaze was sparked.

Flames now coming over multiple hills. Current view from Davidson’s Trigg with #canberra region of Woden in foreground.#orroralvalleyfire #canberrafires @canberratimes @abccanberra pic.twitter.com/seLnKE5ro3

— Adam Spence (@AdamSpenceAU) January 28, 2020

“It is deeply regrettable that our support operations have ­likely started this fire,” the ADF said in a statement. “Defence has taken immediate action to reduce the risk of fires being started by helicopters, including not using certain aircraft lighting in extreme weather conditions.”

Authorities said the blaze was the most serious the nation’s ­capital had faced since the deadly 2003 fires that destroyed hundreds of homes.

Take a look at this vision from our Firebird 100, the Specialist Intelligence Gathering (SIG) Helicopter.

This footage is from the North-Eastern side of the Orroral Valley Fire. pic.twitter.com/p4DSgeCjYk

— ACT ESA (@ACT_ESA) January 28, 2020

ACT Emergency Services Commissioner Georgeina Whelan warned she expected the blaze to burn for a fortnight at least. “The fire is not contained,” she said. “This fire will burn for several weeks.” Ms Whelan said hot, dry weather and enormous fuel loads were making it difficult to fight the blaze.

#canberrafires as seen from Macarthur ACT iPhone 11Pro pic.twitter.com/DsBGXxHIA5

— Shawn vdL (@shawnvdl) January 28, 2020

Australian Defence Force personnel have been out door knocking alongside ACT emergency services and ADF aircraft have been assisting with fire spotting as firefighters work to get the situation under control.

— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) January 28, 2020

Operation Bushfire Relief’s Lieutenant General Greg Bilton on Tuesday said the ADF would further investigate the cause of the fire but had ceased using the type of landing light believed to be behind the blaze.

Spot fires ahead of the main fire were anticipated to reach within 1km of the capital’s far southern suburb of Banks on Tuesday night, while residents of the small rural village of Tharwa were told it was too late to leave and advised to seek shelter.

Residents in suburbs on the outskirts of Canberra, including Conder, Gordon and Calwell, are being told to monitor the ­situation.

Defence personnel have been deployed to help build containment lines and assist in operations.

The fires threatening homes in the ACT follow an extreme hail storm that battered the nation’s capital just over a week ago and comes after Scott Morrison vowed to dedicate the first sitting day of the year to honouring the volunteers defending the nation from the ongoing bushfire crisis.