Fireys battle to stop fires merging with more hot weather on the way
UPDATED: Scores of firefighters have been deployed across the state ahead of deteriorating weather conditions and fears a string of fires could join up into a major conflagration. SEE THE GALLERY
Tasmania
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UPDATED : SCORES of firefighters have been deployed across the state ahead of deteriorating weather conditions and fears a string of fires in the southwest could form up into a major conflagration.
The thin orange line now consists of more than 150 men and women who are on the ground actively fighting the more than 70 fires that continue to burn after Tuesday’s lightning strikes.
Fifty remain uncontained, although there has been no property loss and no injuries to humans reported.
Warnings were issued on Thursday over the health risks posed by smoke from the fires, which was particularly heavy in the Derwent and Huon Valleys, according to EPA monitoring stations.
GALLERY: FIREFIGHTERS BATTLE MORE THAN 70 FIRES
Tasmania Fire Service chief officer Chris Arnol said the next few days would be critical as deteriorating weather loomed.
“Our strategy of hitting fires hard and fast and getting onto them early to gain a hold has worked quite well so far — however we do need further support.
“We are at maximum capacity.
“We’re trying to make a big effort to contain the potential of those fires for Saturday and then of course looking forward into next week when we are anticipating much warmer weather.
“We have several fires in the South-West that are close together and we know fires can be unpredictable.
“So we need to be mindful right now that it’s only January — peak of our bushfire season is February.
“We have got fires on the ground right now and they are giving us concern. Thankfully right now they do not threaten any communities but it is important that our communities remain vigilant.
“There are fires all around us now and anything could happen in the next week or so. So it is important that the community play a vital role in making sure that where we have fires reported, making sure they know what they need to do in case of a bushfire.”
Mr Arnol said more help was being sought from interstate agencies.
“While we have some 50 people from interstate here now, we are planning today to request an additional 80 personnel.`
“Those personnel will be needed in the areas that we have been working in. That is those remote fire tactics which consume remote area teams where instead management teams and aircraft specialists will also be asking for some specialist fire behaviour analysts.
“We’ve only got a few in Tasmania and they will help us plan and project what we need to deal with these fires longer term.”
Advice level warnings are current for two fires — at Great Pine Tier on the Central Plateau and at Gell River in the state’s South-West. People are urged to immediately report fires by calling triple-0.
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Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Simon McCulloch said warmer temperatures interstate were a sign of things to come.
“As soon as we get a day when we get northerly winds that’s going to push that warm dry air mass over Tasmania,” he said.
“At the moment we’re just monitoring the situation for next week but it does look like there might be a period towards the middle of next week where we get that and we might get some quite high temperatures.”
Fires burning in National Parks, which forced the evacuation of dozens of bushwalkers, have also caused the closure of many popular bushwalking tracks including those on Maria Island, the Southern Ranges, the Arthur Ranges and the Port Davey Track.
Parks and Wildlife Service operations manager Mark Bryce urged people to be vigilant.
“The message is not to venture out in remote areas unless you’ve got reliable information that the area is safe,” he said.
“If you check the TFS website and the Parks website there should be information over there for them to make an assessment.
“Heed any warnings at the start of the track and use the logbooks so we know you’re out there.
“We had a couple of groups evacuated and they hadn’t registered in the log book, so it relies on helicopters overflying the area to be able to see these people and where the forest is thick sometimes we can’t see.”
The maximum temperature in Hobart on Friday expected to exceed 20C for the 27th day in a row for the first time since 2013.
Isolated thunderstorms are predicted in the state’s North, along with increasing winds.
A very high fire danger rating is predicted for the Midlands, with winds increasing in the evening.
EARLIER: Firefighters are battling 70 fires across the state — although there is currently no risk to property, the Tasmanian Fire Service says.
At 11.30am there were 50 fires listed as going, one was contained and 19 were being patrolled.
Advice warnings are current for three fires — at Tom Thumb in Wellington Park, at Great Pine Tier on the Central Plateau and at Gell River in the state’s southwest.
“Many of these fires are burning in inaccessible areas and the TFS and partner agencies are continually assessing their risk to communities and assets,” a fire service spokesman said.
“Aircraft, fire crews and remote area firefighting teams are continuing their efforts to contain and patrol the reported fires.
“There is no risk to the public or communities at the moment.”
Fires burning in National Parks which forced the evacuation of dozens of bushwalkers have also caused the closure of many popular bushwalking tracks.
These include tracks on Maria Island, the Southern Ranges, the Arthur Ranges, the Port Davey Track and the alpine section of Mt Field.
People are urged to immediately report fires by calling triple-zero (000).
EARLIER - 10AM: Temperatures around the state are expected to rise today as firefighters battle dozens of bushfires sparked by lightning strikes.
The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast very high fire danger for the Midlands, Upper Derwent Valley and Central North today.
Temperatures around the state will reach into the mid-to-high 20s for most areas, with temperatures in the low-30s forecast for parts of the north and central areas and a state maximum of 33 degrees predicted at Ouse.
The maximum temperature in Hobart is expected to exceed 20 degrees for the 26th day in a row for the first time since 2013.
Isolated thunderstorms are predicted in the state’s north, along with increasing winds.
A very high fire danger rating is predicted for the Midlands on Friday, with winds increasing in the evening.
EARLIER: Bushfires burning across the island state have significantly raised air pollution levels in several Tasmanian centres.
The Environment Protection Authority’s real-time Tasmanian air quality data shows elevated levels of air pollution in the Huon and Derwent valleys because of bushfire smoke.
About 70 fires are burning in bushland after thousands of dry lightning strikes hit the state on Tuesday night.
At New Norfolk, the level of PM10 particles — 10 micrometers or less in diameter — in the air has exceeded 50 parts per million twice since midnight.
The World Health Organisation has a 24-hour average guideline value of 50 parts per million for PM10 particles — warning of serious health effects from prolonged exposure.
“There is a close, quantitative relationship between exposure to high concentrations of small particulates (PM10 and PM2.5) and increased mortality or morbidity, both daily and over time,” WHO says.
The PM10 levels have exceeded 50 parts per million at nearby Gretna and at Judbury in the Huon Valley, once since midnight.
Elevated levels of air pollution can also be seen at Geeveston and Cygnet.
More firefighters from across Australia are expected to help put out scores of blazes burning across Tasmania, with one fire alone raging for more than a fortnight.
The state’s fire service deputy chief officer Bruce Byatt says many of the fires are in “rugged and inaccessible terrain”, making them hard to contain.
“We will be making an additional request for remote firefighting teams from our interstate colleagues and they will run in parallel to our current deployments,” Mr Byatt said, noting the back-up would be needed for weeks.
There are already 53 interstate personnel including specialist crews from NSW’s Rural Fire Service in Tasmania working on a blaze northwest of Hobart which has burnt through about 20,000 hectares of wilderness since it was first reported on December 28.
A large uncontrolled bushfire on Tasmania’s Central Plateau remains at advice level today, covering areas including Lake Fergus, Great Pine Tier and Little Pine Lagoon.
For the latest on bushfires, tune into ABC Local Radio and monitor the Tasmania Fire Service website.
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