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| Australia fires: nation records hottest day ever for second day running as NSW fire crew injured – live | Australia fires: nation records hottest day ever for second day running as NSW fire crew injured – live |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| All of New South Wales, South Australia, large parts of Queensland, and northern Victoria have been placed under a total fire ban on Thursday with extreme weather forecast. Follow the latest bushfires news and updates | All of New South Wales, South Australia, large parts of Queensland, and northern Victoria have been placed under a total fire ban on Thursday with extreme weather forecast. Follow the latest bushfires news and updates |
| Thanks for your time today on the live blog. Calla Wahlquist will be taking over for now. | |
| I’ll leave you with this photo from Thirlmere, showing the sights people are coming home to this evening. | |
| Shocking footage showing the devastation at Bargo, NSW. | |
| More footage has emerged from the climate protest outside Scott Morrison’s Sydney prime ministerial residence, where NSW Greens MP David Shoebridge was arrested today. | |
| This young girl was also issued with a move-on order, according to Twitter user @RivOMac. | |
| The protestors had vowed to “camp-out” at the residence until Morrison returns from leave on Monday. | |
| Two firefighters have received serious burns after their five-person crew was “enveloped” by a rapidly growing blaze near Bargo, NSW, today. The two men were intubated and airlifted to hospital, while another female firefighter was evacuated by road ambulance to be treated for burns and smoke inhalation. | |
| Two fires are still burning at “emergency” level, at Gospers Mountain and Green Wattle Creek. Three are at “watch and act” and more than 60 fires are currently at advice level. | |
| Conditions are expected to improve tomorrow, but many areas are expected to remain at severe or very high fire danger. | |
| While a cool change is sweeping across the state, NSW remains drenched in ash, with the majority of monitoring stations reaching “hazardous” air quality levels today. | |
| Australia has for two days running now beaten the record for “hottest day”, with maximum temperatures reaching an average of 41.9C on Wednesday. | |
| Despite the fire danger easing off tomorrow, it is still listed as “severe” for the Central Ranges and “very high” for the Southern Ranges, Northern Slopes and North Western and Southern Slopes. | Despite the fire danger easing off tomorrow, it is still listed as “severe” for the Central Ranges and “very high” for the Southern Ranges, Northern Slopes and North Western and Southern Slopes. |
| Australia’s record for its hottest day has tumbled for the second day running, with maximum temperatures reaching an average of 41.9C on Wednesday, the Bureau of Meteorology has just confirmed. | Australia’s record for its hottest day has tumbled for the second day running, with maximum temperatures reaching an average of 41.9C on Wednesday, the Bureau of Meteorology has just confirmed. |
| The previous record of 40.9C was set just a day earlier, on Tuesday, beating the previous 40.3C mark set on 7 January 2013. | The previous record of 40.9C was set just a day earlier, on Tuesday, beating the previous 40.3C mark set on 7 January 2013. |
| The hottest individual December day at any location was also broken on Thursday, when Eucla, in south-east Western Australia hit 49.8C. The Nullarbor came in second place at 49.7C. | |
| To calculate the record, the bureau takes about 700 observations from weather stations across the continent and places them on a grid and then calculates the average.Those calculations are then cross-checked with a reference network of 100 stations, known as ACORN-SAT, and “if they line up, that gives us confidence” added Braganza. | To calculate the record, the bureau takes about 700 observations from weather stations across the continent and places them on a grid and then calculates the average.Those calculations are then cross-checked with a reference network of 100 stations, known as ACORN-SAT, and “if they line up, that gives us confidence” added Braganza. |
| The previous December record for Australia was Birdsville, that reached 49.5C on 24 December 1972. | |
| People across NSW will be holding their breath as they leave the office this afternoon, with air quality around Sydney extremely poor. | People across NSW will be holding their breath as they leave the office this afternoon, with air quality around Sydney extremely poor. |
| The most recent figures from Air Quality Index Data from the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage shows all but three regions of NSW currently have reached poor or hazardous air quality. | The most recent figures from Air Quality Index Data from the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage shows all but three regions of NSW currently have reached poor or hazardous air quality. |
| In Sydney alone, every monitoring station reached “hazardous” levels just after lunch today. | In Sydney alone, every monitoring station reached “hazardous” levels just after lunch today. |
| Fitzsimmons has also warned that Saturday could be worse. | Fitzsimmons has also warned that Saturday could be worse. |
| Today, he says, conditions have shaped up to be as bad as he feared. | Today, he says, conditions have shaped up to be as bad as he feared. |
| “Down the south coast, we saw weather stations registering extreme fire danger ratings with a combination of high 30s, low 40 temperatures and strong westerlies. That was at 10am. | “Down the south coast, we saw weather stations registering extreme fire danger ratings with a combination of high 30s, low 40 temperatures and strong westerlies. That was at 10am. |
| “We’re expecting to see that sort of environment unfolding Saturday when the temperatures and strong winds from the west will be dominant from 9am or 10am in the morning and this will sustained for 10-15 hours. Saturday will be a very, very difficult day.” | “We’re expecting to see that sort of environment unfolding Saturday when the temperatures and strong winds from the west will be dominant from 9am or 10am in the morning and this will sustained for 10-15 hours. Saturday will be a very, very difficult day.” |
| Replacement crews – from interstate but also from the US and Canada – are scheduled to arrive on the scene on Saturday, and help the RFS battle the blazes. | Replacement crews – from interstate but also from the US and Canada – are scheduled to arrive on the scene on Saturday, and help the RFS battle the blazes. |
| The fires that “enveloped” a crew of five firefighters today switched from metre-high blazes to towering infernos too quickly to escape, according to RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons. | The fires that “enveloped” a crew of five firefighters today switched from metre-high blazes to towering infernos too quickly to escape, according to RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons. |
| “I have had field reports from out there that very quickly they saw lots of fire activity from metre-high flame heights, to flames burning through the tops of trees and canopy burning, crowning fires, under very strong winds,” Fitzsimmons says. “It was very volatile, very dynamic and, unfortunately, emblematic of much of the fire behaviour we’ve seen, under the hot, dry, windy conditions.” | “I have had field reports from out there that very quickly they saw lots of fire activity from metre-high flame heights, to flames burning through the tops of trees and canopy burning, crowning fires, under very strong winds,” Fitzsimmons says. “It was very volatile, very dynamic and, unfortunately, emblematic of much of the fire behaviour we’ve seen, under the hot, dry, windy conditions.” |
| The “dozens” of homes lost that comissioner Fitzsimmons referred to are mostly around Bargo in the Wollondilly shire. | The “dozens” of homes lost that comissioner Fitzsimmons referred to are mostly around Bargo in the Wollondilly shire. |
| Of that, some are the homes of firefighters themselves, who were out today at other firegrounds. | Of that, some are the homes of firefighters themselves, who were out today at other firegrounds. |
| There is “quite a considerable amount of property being impacted”, Fitzsimmons told reporters. People’s homes, businesses, and even poultry farming operations in the area could be affected, he says. | There is “quite a considerable amount of property being impacted”, Fitzsimmons told reporters. People’s homes, businesses, and even poultry farming operations in the area could be affected, he says. |
| He says the firefighters who lost their homes are “absolutely shattered” . | He says the firefighters who lost their homes are “absolutely shattered” . |
| “They’re devastated by loss no matter what, but it just goes that little further when it’s your own home, or the colleague you’ve got sitting on the fire truck next to you, having lost their home, while they’re out saving others. | “They’re devastated by loss no matter what, but it just goes that little further when it’s your own home, or the colleague you’ve got sitting on the fire truck next to you, having lost their home, while they’re out saving others. |
| “So it’s a tough afternoon. It will be another very emotional, very draining day for our firefighters.” | “So it’s a tough afternoon. It will be another very emotional, very draining day for our firefighters.” |
| The Rural Fire Service, the defence force and search-and-rescue teams have been mobilised to rescue people in the small NSW town of Itchenstoke, according to RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons. | The Rural Fire Service, the defence force and search-and-rescue teams have been mobilised to rescue people in the small NSW town of Itchenstoke, according to RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons. |
| Itchenstoke, north of Bilpin, on the Bells Line of Road, became isolated today when fire cut off the only road in and out of the town. | Itchenstoke, north of Bilpin, on the Bells Line of Road, became isolated today when fire cut off the only road in and out of the town. |
| “The advice [to people in the town] was to shelter in place as the fire approaches,” Fitzsimmons said. “Some of our aircraft, particularly working with our defence force with the search and rescue teams ... were [then] touching down in that area and helping to extract a few people that wanted to be relocated out of that vicinity and that was safely done as I understand it.” | “The advice [to people in the town] was to shelter in place as the fire approaches,” Fitzsimmons said. “Some of our aircraft, particularly working with our defence force with the search and rescue teams ... were [then] touching down in that area and helping to extract a few people that wanted to be relocated out of that vicinity and that was safely done as I understand it.” |
| “Dozens” of structures, including homes, have been lost in the fires today, according to RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons. | “Dozens” of structures, including homes, have been lost in the fires today, according to RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons. |
| “There are lots of buildings including people’s homes and livelihoods that are being impacted by this fire this afternoon,” he has told a press briefing. | “There are lots of buildings including people’s homes and livelihoods that are being impacted by this fire this afternoon,” he has told a press briefing. |
| The cool change bringing relief to many in NSW this afternoon is increasing the danger. | The cool change bringing relief to many in NSW this afternoon is increasing the danger. |
| “You get increased volatility, erratic fire behaviour and you get dramatic changes in fire intensity and fire spread. It’s still a very difficult set of circumstances in around the fire ground both for firefighters, emergency services and also for the communities in and around that area being impacted,” he said. | “You get increased volatility, erratic fire behaviour and you get dramatic changes in fire intensity and fire spread. It’s still a very difficult set of circumstances in around the fire ground both for firefighters, emergency services and also for the communities in and around that area being impacted,” he said. |
| It looks like we’re getting a white Christmas, but not one we would ever have wished for. | It looks like we’re getting a white Christmas, but not one we would ever have wished for. |
| Three firefighters have been seriously injured in NSW today, with two airlifted for emergency treatment. | Three firefighters have been seriously injured in NSW today, with two airlifted for emergency treatment. |
| RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said a crew of five was overrun by fire near the Bargo area, with a number of crew members suffering serious burn injuries. | RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said a crew of five was overrun by fire near the Bargo area, with a number of crew members suffering serious burn injuries. |
| “My advice is that the crews were operating and this particular crew, a crew of five, were overrun by fire. Enveloped by fire.” | “My advice is that the crews were operating and this particular crew, a crew of five, were overrun by fire. Enveloped by fire.” |
| “They were first treated by their Fire and Rescue counterparts who were close by with first aid before being transported to the local showground, where ambulance paramedics arrived on scene to triage and treat and assess the injuries,” he said. | “They were first treated by their Fire and Rescue counterparts who were close by with first aid before being transported to the local showground, where ambulance paramedics arrived on scene to triage and treat and assess the injuries,” he said. |
| Two members of the crew received airway burns and needed to be intubated to protect their breathing, he said. | Two members of the crew received airway burns and needed to be intubated to protect their breathing, he said. |
| A 36-year-old and 56-year-old male were airlifted from the scene with serious facial and airway burns, and burns to other parts of their bodies including their arms, elbow, upper chest and a leg. | A 36-year-old and 56-year-old male were airlifted from the scene with serious facial and airway burns, and burns to other parts of their bodies including their arms, elbow, upper chest and a leg. |
| A female was also treated for smoke inhalation and superficial burns and was taken to hospital by road ambulance. | A female was also treated for smoke inhalation and superficial burns and was taken to hospital by road ambulance. |
| There are currently 50 fires uncontained in NSW, with a number at emergency level. | There are currently 50 fires uncontained in NSW, with a number at emergency level. |
| NSW RFS are on patrol at the Hawkesbury River. | NSW RFS are on patrol at the Hawkesbury River. |
| The cool change has reached the Illawarra region, and there is not long to wait for relief from the heat for greater Sydney, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. | The cool change has reached the Illawarra region, and there is not long to wait for relief from the heat for greater Sydney, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. |
| The Hume Highway has now been closed between Campbelltown and Mittagong due to the Green Wattle Creek fire. | The Hume Highway has now been closed between Campbelltown and Mittagong due to the Green Wattle Creek fire. |