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Australia fires: NSW premier announces state of emergency amid extreme bushfires danger – live Australia fires: NSW premier announces state of emergency amid extreme bushfires danger – 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 news and updatesAll 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 news and updates
Ambulance Victoria responded to eight reports of children locked in vehicles yesterday including a preschool-aged girl who was left with a primary school-aged child in a hot car at Narre Warren South at about 4.30pm. The view out in the Oaks near Campbelltown in south-west Sydney this morning.
The Australian Council of Trade Unions has announced it is will push for an urgent upgrade of health workplace health safety conditions to address the risk of working in heat and smoke.
The ACTU secretary, Sally McManus, and assistant secretary Liam O’Brien are announcing the proposal today to regulate exposure to heat and smoke.
The guidelines include advice on how to minimise exposure to heat and smoke pollution and how to recognise serious health risks.
At a McDonald’s off the Great Western Highway, Jake and Samson are taking a break. Luckily, they work indoors in Penrith, in a nearby warehouse.
“If it gets too hot, it’s normally bearable,” Jake says. “We’ve got fans, they give us cold packs and cold water. It’s something we can deal with.”
They’ve been at work today since 6am. But that means they clock off just as the heat will reach its 45C peak.
“Oh, I’ll be going indoors for sure,” Jake says. “Lots of water ... we both have air con.”
But Samson interjects. “Even sometimes with air con on, it’s fucking hot dude! Seriously, when the air con is on, and the outside is hot, it’s hotter.”
“My aircon does the job,” says Jake.
A fire in the Shoalhaven area is now at watch and act.
Crowds are growing at a protest outside the prime minister’s residence, Kirribilli House. Australian Associated Press reports that riot squad officers are on the scene but there is no sense of the protest getting out of hand.
A group of students representing the Schools Strike 4 Climate movement stood with other protesters, some of whom were wearing Hawaiian shirts, carrying placards declaring “The time to talk is now” and “C’mon SloMo”.
From Australian Associated Press:
They called on the federal government to take immediate action on climate change and urged no new coal and gas projects, a transition to 100% renewables and funding for affected fossil fuel workers.
Dr Kim Loo said there was no framework currently in place to deal with the effects of climate change on health.
“It is negligent not to do anything about mitigation or adaptation. It is criminal to continue mining, burning, exporting oil, coal and gas because it’s fuelling the crisis,” Loo told the crowd.
“And this is the greatest crisis to our health in the 21st century.”
Cheers erupted as Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi said Morrison was missing at a time of crisis.
“Everyone is gathered here today to ask one question, ‘Where the bloody hell is the prime minister?’” Faruqi said.
Sydney student Ambrose Hayes said Morrison’s holiday was badly timed.
“Our direct message to Scott Morrison is for him to come home ... even though he’s entitled to a holiday, it shouldn’t be at a time where Australia is in crisis,” said the 14-year-old.
Ambulance Victoria responded to eight reports of children locked in vehicles yesterday, including a preschool-aged girl who was left with a primary school-aged child in a hot car at Narre Warren South about 4.30pm.
The girl wasn’t taken to hospital.The girl wasn’t taken to hospital.
Please do not do this.Please do not do this.
It’s 9.30am right now in Penrith in western Sydney, and thankfully, still cool. The suburb is forecast to hit 45C today, and 46C on Saturday. It’s 9.30am right now in Penrith, western Sydney, and thankfully, still cool. The suburb is forecast to hit 45C today and 46C on Saturday.
It’s the next two or three hours that will hurt, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. Right now, it’s a breezy 26.2C. By 11am, that will rise to 39C. 13C over 2 hours. It’s the next two or three hours that will hurt, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. Right now, it’s a breezy 26.2C. By 11am that will rise to 39C. 13C over two hours.
But the haze and bushfire smoke is already thick. Here, we’re only about 30km from the southernmost edge of the huge Gospers Mountain megafire, burning through the Blue Mountains. Smoke from the 400,000 hectare blaze is rolling down in waves. But the haze and bushfire smoke is already thick. Here we’re only about 30km from the southernmost edge of the huge Gospers Mountain megafire, burning through the Blue Mountains. Smoke from the 400,000 hectare blaze is rolling down in waves.
The NSW ambulance commissioner Dominic Morgan says paramedics have seen a 10% increase in call-outs for patients suffering respiratory conditions in the last week amid what he called “remarkable” conditions. The NSW ambulance commissioner, Dominic Morgan, says paramedics have seen a 10% increase in call-outs for patients suffering respiratory ailments in the last week amid what he called “remarkable” conditions.
He said people with respiratory conditions “need to be very vigilant”.He said people with respiratory conditions “need to be very vigilant”.
“It can be a life-threatening condition,” he said. “Just this morning, I became aware of a three-year-old who had such a severe asthma attack that they were unable to speak.”“It can be a life-threatening condition,” he said. “Just this morning, I became aware of a three-year-old who had such a severe asthma attack that they were unable to speak.”
Air quality in much of NSW is rated from poor to hazardous on Thursday.Air quality in much of NSW is rated from poor to hazardous on Thursday.
From a protest outside the prime minister’s Sydney residence at Kirribilli this morning. They’re unhappy at Scott Morrison’s absence during bushfire crisis.From a protest outside the prime minister’s Sydney residence at Kirribilli this morning. They’re unhappy at Scott Morrison’s absence during bushfire crisis.
What does a state of emergency actually mean?What does a state of emergency actually mean?
It allows powers to be transferred from the NSW government to the Rural Fire Service commissioner.It allows powers to be transferred from the NSW government to the Rural Fire Service commissioner.
Those powers include:Those powers include:
The power to direct any NSW government agency to conduct or refrain from conducting its functionsThe power to direct any NSW government agency to conduct or refrain from conducting its functions
Control and coordinate the allocation of government resourcesControl and coordinate the allocation of government resources
Evacuate people from property within the declared areaEvacuate people from property within the declared area
Close roads and thoroughfares to trafficClose roads and thoroughfares to traffic
Pull down or shore up infrastructure at risk of collapsePull down or shore up infrastructure at risk of collapse
Order the shutdown of essential utilities in the declared area, including electricity, gas, oil and waterOrder the shutdown of essential utilities in the declared area, including electricity, gas, oil and water
Enter or take possession of property in the course of the emergency response.Enter or take possession of property in the course of the emergency response.
That press conference with the the NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, and the RFS commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, has now ended.That press conference with the the NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, and the RFS commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, has now ended.
Just to reiterate, the premier announced a state of emergency for NSW for the next seven days amid “unpredictable” weather conditions that are causing extreme fire danger across much of the state today and later in the week.Just to reiterate, the premier announced a state of emergency for NSW for the next seven days amid “unpredictable” weather conditions that are causing extreme fire danger across much of the state today and later in the week.
Fitzsimmons said there were three major fires he was concerned about. All three are burning near residential populations, and he said there was a risk communities could be impacted today.Fitzsimmons said there were three major fires he was concerned about. All three are burning near residential populations, and he said there was a risk communities could be impacted today.
They are the Currowan fire on the state’s south coast near Batemans Bay and Ulladulla, the Gospers Mountain fire which stretches through the Central Coast to Lithgow, and the Ruined Castle fire which stretches from Picton in Sydney’s south-west through the Blue Mountains and into the state’s west.They are the Currowan fire on the state’s south coast near Batemans Bay and Ulladulla, the Gospers Mountain fire which stretches through the Central Coast to Lithgow, and the Ruined Castle fire which stretches from Picton in Sydney’s south-west through the Blue Mountains and into the state’s west.
Both the Gospers Mountain and Green Wattle Creek fire are burning at “watch and act” this morning. All other fires are at “advice”.Both the Gospers Mountain and Green Wattle Creek fire are burning at “watch and act” this morning. All other fires are at “advice”.
Shane Fitzsimmons continues, saying he’s picking up a sense of “despair” in firefighters.Shane Fitzsimmons continues, saying he’s picking up a sense of “despair” in firefighters.
He said the fires had a psychological impact on firefighters:He said the fires had a psychological impact on firefighters:
Shane Fitzsimmons has been asked whether he’s confident that RFS volunteers are appropriately equipped and resourced. He says he’s “extremely confident”:
That question follows reports of firefighters crowdfunding for smoke masks.
The RFS commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, said conditions would remain “very serious and dangerous” over the coming days, and the forecast was that Saturday “will be even worse”.
“While we still have fires burning effectively from the Queensland border right down to the south coast of New South Wales, the worst of the fire weather conditions, the extreme fire danger ratings we are expecting today, are centred around the greater Sydney, the Illawarra/Shoalhaven area under southern ranges,” he said.
Fitzsimmons said the fire burning between Batemans Bay and Ulladulla was “likely to impact communities” in those areas today. He said another fire burning to Sydney’s south-west effectively spanned from Picton in south-west to the town of Oberon in the west.
“That southern exposure is quite at risk for communities,” he said.
Gladys Berejiklian made the announcement at a press conference just a moment ago. She acknowledged it could mean problems for people travelling over the Christmas period. “We want everybody to be together with their families and enjoy the time and be safe, but please be aware that the state of emergency might mean extra diversions, extra road closures,” she said. “It might mean if you are using the roads that you are delayed, or in fact your plans have to change.”
She said the “biggest concern” was the unpredictability of the weather patterns “with extreme wind conditions [and] extremely hot temperatures”:
The New South Wales premier, Gladys Berejiklian, has announced a state of emergency for the next seven days.
She said she had made the decision after the advice from the Rural Fire Service commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, and that she was concerned about the “unpredictability” of the weather.
It is the second time in just over a month that NSW has been under a state of emergency due to the extreme weather.
Smoke on the radars.
High temperatures are forecast across most of the south-east of Australia today, including in Victoria and South Australia.
Victoria’s emergency management commissioner, Andrew Crisp, told the ABC it was “a tale of two states” with mild weather to the south but extremely hot weather in the state’s north around Swan Hill and Mildura.
Crisp said there had been reports of poor air quality in the eastern half of the Victoria as a result of fires in Gippsland in the north-east and also from NSW.
South Australia’s emergency services minister, Corey Wingard, said there had been reports of temperatures of close to 50 degrees in the northern part of the state this week.
“It is extreme, really hot, and that does focus people on making sure they are looking after each other and their neighbours, so across the state everyone is feeling it,” Wingard said.
While Tuesday was Australia’s hottest day on record, with an average of 40.9C across the country, it’s possible today could get even hotter.
Temperatures in parts of NSW and the ACT are expected to exceed 40C through to Saturday, while in the western half of the state the mercury could top 45C.
Sydney’s CBD is expected to hit a top of 40C, while Penrith has the dubious honour of being the city’s hottest location, with temperatures forecast to reach 45 degrees.
Further north and west it’s likely to be just as hot. Cessnock in the Hunter Valley is expected to reach 45C, as are many towns in the west that are dealing with water shortages.
Sydney has again woken up to a thick blanket of smoke from bushfires burning to the west. It has become an increasingly common sight this summer.
The Department of Planning and Environment has predicted “poor” air quality for Thursday, which could worsen as the day progresses.
The RFS has warned that three major fires pose the biggest risk on Thursday. They are:
The Currowan fire burning near Batemans Bay and Ulladulla on the state’s south coast
The Green Wattle Creek fire burning near Picton and Ruined Castle fire near the Megalong Valley
The Gospers Mountain fire burning near Kurrajong Heights, Bowen Mountain, communities on Bells Line of Road, Lithgow, and Cullen Bullen
As of Thursday morning the Gospers Mountain fire, which has already burned through 411,900 hectares, is rated as watch and act while the other two are at the advice level.
The RFS has warned those communities may come under threat on Thursday from embers or fire fronts. Conditions are then forecast to worsen again on Saturday. A state-wide total fire ban is in place in NSW.
Good morning,
The Rural Fire Service has issued “extreme” fire danger warnings for the Sydney, Illawarra/Shoalhaven and southern ranges regions on Thursday, with three “significant fires” in those areas posing “extreme to severe fire danger”.
The RFS has are also warned there remain “broad areas of severe and very high fire danger” across northern, eastern and southern parts of the state.
A statewide total fire ban is in place on Thursday as more than 100 fires continue to burn across NSW. The RFS said on Wednesday that conditions would be dangerous due to high temperatures, strong and gusty winds and low humidity.
Temperatures in the state and the ACT are expected to exceed 40C through to Saturday, while in the western half of the state the mercury could top 45C.
On Wednesday the premier, Gladys Berejiklian, warned firefighters would face an “enormous challenge” for the rest of the week, with the potential for “exceedingly concerning” winds to blow embers well ahead of fire fronts.
“Not only are we going to experience very high temperatures on Thursday and Saturday but there’s the exceedingly concerning wind conditions,” she told reporters on Wednesday.
“We’re going to have a number of wind fronts escalating the fuel, the fires burning, and the potential to have spot fires and embers travelling very long distances.”