Bushfire burning along Stuart Hwy in Adelaide River

Authorities have urged residents and motorists to be careful as a bushfire burns along a highway.

MONDAY, MAY 16 3PM: AUTHORITIES have issued advice for residents and motorists as a bushfire burns along the Stuart Hwy in Adelaide River.

Bushfires NT issued the advice on Monday afternoon, stating the fire was spreading on one or more fronts.

“Effective containment strategies are not in place for the entire perimeter,” it said.

“Smoke from this fire may affect visibility. Active fire may occur close to the roadside. Firefighting crews may be working close to the roadside.”

The fire is expected to burn until 7pm.

Bushfire burning in Darwin rural area

AUTHORITIES have issued advice for Cox Peninsula as a bushfire burns in the area.

Bushfires NT issued the notice urging people to monitor the situation, saying the blaze was burning near Cox Peninsula Rd and was “spreading on one or more fronts”.

“Effective containment strategies are not in place for the entire perimeter,” the statement said.

“For the safety of firefighting crews and other vehicles, drivers in the area are urged to slow down, turn on headlights and drive safely for the conditions.”

The advice was issued at 2.25pm on Friday with authorities expecting the bushfire to continue until at least 8pm.

Fire expert fears a massive inferno in Central Australia

A fire expert and Research Development Officer has said that there is still time for a wildfire to break out in the Central Desert region.

Northern Institute Research Development Officer for CDU and reputable fire expert Rohan Fisher has said that even when the weather cools, there are still risks of a wildfire breakout in Central Australia.

“In the desert, fire burns where water flows because that’s where fuel, in the form of vegetation, is heaviest,” he said.

“The reality is that the threat doesn’t just go away after summer ends, the fire fuel will still remain and will be ready for when the extreme heat returns.”

Due to the Red Centre having one of the wettest seasons on record, the desert is left full of large fuel zones that are highly flammable.

Over the Easter weekend, additional fire services were flown to Alice Springs as a precautionary measure to help mitigate additional fire risks after parts of the region were under a Watch and Act alert when fires west of the Red Centre broke out.

Mr Fisher expressed concerns that fire management in Central Australia is not performed to the same scale as other places in the Territory.

“Northern Australia is prone to largely yearly fires therefore, the fire management is much more embedded into land management practices, the same cannot be said for Centralia Australia,” he said.

“Fires have the potential to impact First Nation’s way of life, flora and fauna as well as local industries such as tourism or the pastoral sector.”

Disaster Resilience and Recovery Agency have donated $775,000 towards the CDU’s Northern Australia and Rangelands Fire Information service to help combat fires in the region.

Through the Northern Australia and Rangelands Fire Information web service and smart phone app, information is provided about real-time bushfires.

The service is highly regarded across Northern Australia and beyond as it maps over 70% of Australia.

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Originally published as Bushfire burning along Stuart Hwy in Adelaide River