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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2019/dec/19/nsw-and-qld-fires-australia-braces-for-extreme-bushfires-danger-amid-sweltering-heatwave-live
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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 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 news and updates |
| Hi, it’s Amy Corderoy taking over from Michael McGowan ... | |
| NSW paramedics are bracing for more heat and fire-related emergencies, warning vulnerable people to be vigilant and protect themselves today. | |
| There has already been a 10% increase in calls for patients with respiratory conditions over the past week as bushfire smoke causes dangerous conditions, AAP reports. Young children and elderly people are also at risk. | |
| An additional 187 extra paramedics will be on duty to help tackle the “quite remarkable conditions”, says NSW Ambulance’s chief executive, Dominic Morgan. | |
| He said anyone in a “vulnerable group” such as the elderly or very young needed a plan to cope with the heat and ensure they stayed well hydrated. | |
| “Just this morning I became aware of a three-year-old who had such a severe asthma attack that they were unable to speak,” Morgan told reporters in Sydney. | |
| Signs of heat exhaustion include dizziness and confusion, headaches, appetite loss, excessive sweating, leg, stomach and arm cramps and thirst. | |
| In a cafe in Penrith, ducking in for a coffee, is Steve, an RFS volunteer in bright yellow vest. Steve works in a nearby fire control centre. He says one of his jobs today is to keep all the firefighters safe from the heat. “Baically the main thing is we ensure all volunteers stay hydrated,” he says. “We tell them they need to drink at least one litre an hour. And regularly rotate crews through the different positions. We have someone doing the really hot stuff and others that aren’t.”I ask him if it’ll be a busy day for him. “Oh yeah. We’ve got extreme fire danger forecast, and numerous fires currently burning, with huge perimeters, so the chances that they become uncontrolled is pretty high.” | |
| We have just updated our interactive map showing the size of the area burned in NSW and Queensland since the start of the fire season.The total area is now 3.1m hectares. If this was a country, it would be the 136th largest – larger than Belgium, and just smaller than Moldova. | |
| The view out in the Oaks near Campbelltown in south-west Sydney this morning. | 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 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 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. | 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. | 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.” | “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. | 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.” | “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.” | 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. | “My aircon does the job,” says Jake. |
| A fire in the Shoalhaven area is now at watch and act. | 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. | 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”. | 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: | 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. | 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. | 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. | “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.” | “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. | 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. | “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. | 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. | “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. | 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, 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 two 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 ailments 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 functions | The power to direct any NSW government agency to conduct or refrain from conducting its functions |
| Control and coordinate the allocation of government resources | Control and coordinate the allocation of government resources |
| Evacuate people from property within the declared area | Evacuate people from property within the declared area |
| Close roads and thoroughfares to traffic | Close roads and thoroughfares to traffic |
| Pull down or shore up infrastructure at risk of collapse | Pull down or shore up infrastructure at risk of collapse |
| Order the shutdown of essential utilities in the declared area, including electricity, gas, oil and water | Order 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: |