RFS celebrates as all NSW fires contained

After a horror bushfire season that saw 5.4 million hectares burnt and 2500 homes destroyed in NSW, some good news.

16-17 metre high flames at Mt Tomah within the Blue Mountains National Park in December. Picture: NSW RFS

All fires in NSW are now contained according to an announcement from the Rural Fire Service, after two fires in the Snowy Valley and Monaro areas were contained this afternoon.

24 bush and grass fires continue to burn across the state but all are contained.

“After what’s been a truly devastating fire season for NSW residents who suffered through so much this season all fires are now contained in NSW which is great news,” RFS deputy commissioner Rob Rogers said.

“Not all fires are out, there’s still some fire activity in the far south of the state, but all fires are contained so we can really focus on helping people rebuild.”

In what has been a very traumatic, exhausting and anxious bush fire season so far, for the first time this season all bush and grass fires in NSW are now contained.
It has taken a lot of work by firefighters, emergency services and communities to get to this point. #nswrfs pic.twitter.com/RhqmcYhJ1j

— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) February 13, 2020

As of Thursday fires had destroyed almost 2500 homes across the state and damaged more than 1000, with more than 5.4 million hectares burnt.

Over 30 fires in NSW have been extinguished due to the assistance of rain since Friday.

But the RFS has warned people need not to get complacent, with recent rain likely to result in significant grass growth.

Fires burning in NSW were largely concentrated in the far south, however the Campbells River Rd, Black Springs fire continued to burn west of Sydney on Thursday night.

“There’s time before the fire period is over and we may see consecutive dry days again,” an RFS spokesman said.

“We could see fires returning to some areas, statewide the majority of our areas we are likely to see minimal fire activity.”

However, he said the RFS was celebrating the fact that all fires were now contained, with the Lindfield Park Road fire, which had been burning in peat in the Port Macquarie region for 210 days, now out.

The fire destroyed 858 hectares, with almost half burning underground in peat deposits after local wetlands dried out.

The RFS spokesman said the fire was only able to be extinguished after reclaimed water was used to flood the wetland and rehydrate the peat.

Fires in Victoria have largely subsided, but several fires remained uncontained on Thursday night at Cape Conran in East Gippsland.