Fire storm risk remains after calm days in the Tasmanian bushfire emergency

Firefighters are bracing for hot and windy conditions tomorrow which may turn weak, smouldering fires into unwieldy infernos.

A Tasmania Fire Service crew putting out a spot fire on Donnellys Rd at Geeveston this week. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

FIREFIGHTERS are bracing for hot and windy conditions tomorrow which may turn weak, smouldering fires into unwieldy infernos.

Favourable weather conditions in the past couple of days have helped fire crews gain an edge on 40-plus bushfires burning statewide and allowed the Tasmania Fire Service to downgrade many of the emergency warnings.

But with a total fire ban declared for most of southern Tasmania as well as Break O’Day, Dorset and Northern Midlands areas from 2am tomorrow until 2am on Monday, communities are being urged to remain vigilant.

“There is still a significant amount of fire in the landscape drawing on resources around the state,” TFS regional chief officer Jeff Harper said. “A number of fires are still volatile and dangerous and fire behaviour can change with little warning.”

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Adding to concerns, Mr Harper says fuel loads around the state are 20-30 per cent drier than average and the fire edge had grown to 1629km, with the burnt area at 187,462ha.

“So with no rain predicted for February that tells us a story that we will be in this space for a number of weeks.”

Last night there were 10 “Watch and Act” emergency warnings for fires around Geeveston, Waterloo, Franklin, Glen Huon, Lonnavale, Judbury, Castle Forbes Bay, Waddamana, Bronte Park and Maydena.

A further 19 fires at locations including Trenah, Brittons Swamp, Zeehan, Dover, Huonville, Lymington, Wattle Grove, Glaziers Bay, Lynch Hill, Renison Bell, Rosebery and Miena were at advice level.

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More than 580 people including 152 personnel from interstate and New Zealand plus 38 aircraft are battling blazes throughout the state.

Three firefighters have been injured in the bushfire response. Two volunteers from New Norfolk were injured in a light tanker rollover on Thursday, with one being assessed for spinal injuries, while a Sustainable Timbers Tasmania firefighter was yesterday injured by a tree limb and taken to hospital.

TFS senior station officer John Holloway said the cooler conditions yesterday had allowed successful back burning to take place in some areas of the Central Highlands.

“When you’ve got drier weather than normal and drier vegetation, fires are going to get out of control much more easily,” Mr Holloway said.

Heavy machinery has been used to prepare for back burns in the Huon Valley and firefighters successfully carried out suppression activities yesterday.

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A roadblock remains in place on the Huon Highway for southbound motorists but Tasmania Police is mindful of ensuring the delivery of essential services to towns south of Huonville. Tasmania Police regional controller commander Tony Cerritelli said police were considering waterborne options that could be quickly activated for the delivery of goods and services or for evacuations if necessary.

On the West Coast, recent rainfall helped firefighting efforts and crews on the ground have been able to install pumps on the Pieman River, using barges to help pump water onto the fire ground.

Parks and Wildlife Service state fire manager Paul Black advised that Mt Field National Park, the Southwest National Park South Coast Track, Hastings Cave, and Walls of Jerusalem National Park’s Little Fisher River Track, remain closed.

More than 30 Tasmanian Airbnb hosts had opened their homes to displaced residents as part of Airbnb’s Open Homes Program.