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South Australia fires: firefighters injured as NSW and Qld face extreme bushfires risk – live South Australia fires: firefighters injured as NSW and Qld face extreme bushfires risk – live
(30 minutes later)
Catastrophic bushfire conditions expected for several SA regions, Queensland faces severe fire danger and Melbourne weather forecast for hottest ever December day, as Morrison says he ‘deeply regrets any offence caused’ by holiday. Follow the latest news and updatesCatastrophic bushfire conditions expected for several SA regions, Queensland faces severe fire danger and Melbourne weather forecast for hottest ever December day, as Morrison says he ‘deeply regrets any offence caused’ by holiday. Follow the latest news and updates
Three NSW regions including Greater Sydney are set to endure catastrophic fire danger on Saturday amid intense heat, strong winds and dry conditions.The NSW Rural Fire Service has forecast catastrophic fire danger for parts of the state - including Greater Sydney - as another “dangerously hot” day looms.
The RFS on Friday confirmed that Greater Sydney, Illawarra-Shoalhaven and the Southern Ranges would on Saturday endure catastrophic fire risks.
Greater Hunter and the Central Ranges would experience extreme fire risk.
The Bureau of Meteorology warned temperatures could rise into the mid-40s in western Sydney on Saturday, with strong winds and intensely dry conditions creating additional danger.
The RFS will address media on Friday afternoon.
An emergency fire warning has been issued for Maitland, in the Yorke Peninsula.
It is now too late to leave and the Country Fire Service advises taking shelter in a solid building.
Trying to find some good news today is pretty difficult. So please accept these adorable rescue puppies for your viewing pleasure.
And the record for hottest December day in Victoria falls as well.
Geoff Goldrick, a deputy captain with the NSW Rural Fire Service in Northern NSW, has written a powerful piece reflecting on the extraordinary events of this year.
Three temperature records have fallen so far today in South Australia
Scary footage coming out of South Australia now, of the fire at Lobethal.Scary footage coming out of South Australia now, of the fire at Lobethal.
Authorities have issued an emergency warning for a bushfire which is threatening the Israelite Bay campsite on Western Australia’s south coast.The uncontrolled fire is moving quickly towards the campsite, near Esperance on Western Australia’s south coast, and poses a threat to both homes and lives in the area.Authorities have issued an emergency warning for a bushfire which is threatening the Israelite Bay campsite on Western Australia’s south coast.The uncontrolled fire is moving quickly towards the campsite, near Esperance on Western Australia’s south coast, and poses a threat to both homes and lives in the area.
Firefighters are on their way and people in the area should leave now if there is a clear path.Firefighters are on their way and people in the area should leave now if there is a clear path.
Air Quality has deteriorated rapidly in Victoria, with much of Melbourne now listed as poor or very poor.Air Quality has deteriorated rapidly in Victoria, with much of Melbourne now listed as poor or very poor.
View of the smoke from the NSW bushfires shrouding Melbourne’s CBD:View of the smoke from the NSW bushfires shrouding Melbourne’s CBD:
And here is an aerial view of the smoke:And here is an aerial view of the smoke:
Properties are thought to have been lost or damaged and others remain under threat from two serious bushfires burning near Adelaide.Properties are thought to have been lost or damaged and others remain under threat from two serious bushfires burning near Adelaide.
Country Fire Service chief Mark Jones said the fires in the Adelaide Hills and at Angle Vale, both subject to emergency warnings, were unlikely to be contained soon.Country Fire Service chief Mark Jones said the fires in the Adelaide Hills and at Angle Vale, both subject to emergency warnings, were unlikely to be contained soon.
The CFS says 28 fires have been sparked across the state amid catastrophic fire conditions on Friday, AAP reports.The CFS says 28 fires have been sparked across the state amid catastrophic fire conditions on Friday, AAP reports.
Jones said the terrain and the prevailing conditions in the Adelaide Hills, were making access difficult for fire crews.Jones said the terrain and the prevailing conditions in the Adelaide Hills, were making access difficult for fire crews.
“The lack of visibility also makes it very difficult for crews,” he said.“The lack of visibility also makes it very difficult for crews,” he said.
Spot fires ahead of the main front were thought to have damaged some properties around the town of Lobethal with the blaze now burning towards Woodside.Spot fires ahead of the main front were thought to have damaged some properties around the town of Lobethal with the blaze now burning towards Woodside.
Properties were also thought to have been damaged or lost in the Angle Vale blaze, but Jones said it was too early to confirm details.Properties were also thought to have been damaged or lost in the Angle Vale blaze, but Jones said it was too early to confirm details.
The CFS had 59 fire trucks and 11 aircraft tackling the Adelaide Hills fire with 31 trucks and six aircraft deployed to Angle Vale.The CFS had 59 fire trucks and 11 aircraft tackling the Adelaide Hills fire with 31 trucks and six aircraft deployed to Angle Vale.
More than 500 firefighters were in the field across both incidents and extra aerial resources have also been brought in from NSW and Victoria.More than 500 firefighters were in the field across both incidents and extra aerial resources have also been brought in from NSW and Victoria.
First the fire, now the rain.First the fire, now the rain.
Four firefighters have been injured in South Australia at the Cudlee Creek fire, which is at emergency level. It’s currently burning in a south-east direction towards Woodside.Four firefighters have been injured in South Australia at the Cudlee Creek fire, which is at emergency level. It’s currently burning in a south-east direction towards Woodside.
Tomorrow’s conditions are looking to be worse but O’Connor is barely even thinking about that yet.
He sighs.
“What you can see we’ve got now – we’ve got the potential where the village is going to be sandwiched from both sides. We’re coming in from the west, and from the east. Our village has never been affected from the east before.”
He says the conditions are erratic, volatile, and the wind is completely unpredictable, pushing fire right into the village before retreating and making another advance.
He says residents had plans in place and most people left yesterday, heeding the warnings.
O’Connor is fielding a lot of calls from residents but says that’s what they want. Today, as occurred five times yesterday, residents will come to the station to shelter if an emergency klaxon sounds.
We’re in Balmoral where the situation is incredibly serious. There are fires on both sides of the village, which was hit five times yesterday by the Green Wattle Creek blaze.
Several houses are confirmed lost, and as we sit here residents are walking into the fire station having been forced to abandon their property. Several waterbombing aircraft, including the skycranes, are flying overhead trying to control a blaze to the east before a wind change which is is predicted any time.
Brendan O’Connor is the brigade captain of the RFS village unit here, and is visibly shaken.
“A massive amount of village was taken yesterday … and then the lives and the injuries,” he says. “It’s just such a tragic thing, unfortunately we’ve seen too much of it this year. It’s just wearing everyone down.
“We’ve lost at least six to eight homes in our village. What it did, it crossed over to our eastern side of our village, so we still have very active fire on our western side plus on our eastern. It’s now moving up on the main body of our village itself.”
A skycrane roars overhead as we speak.
“They’re fighting as hard as they can to stop us losing more properties in our village.”
Two firefighters died here, and three others are in induced comas after a burnover in Bargo.
“Most of us have worked with those gentlemen, so our sincere condolences to the families. It’s absolutely shattering,” says O’Connor.
“We’ve know those guys [from Bargo] for 20-odd years, so we’re as close as family can be. It’s absolutely heartbreaking for every one of us. It’s just so tragic, so tragic.”
Victorians are now facing very poor to hazardous air quality in some parts of the state.
Have a look at the time lapse as it captures the smoke rolling in.
The Latrobe Valley and Melbourne are both predicted to have very poor air quality.
The Cudlee Creek fire in the Adelaide Hills is burning in a south-easterly direction towards Woodside.
While NSW areas closer to the water have felt some relief from the smoke, inland is still strongly affected, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
And haunting pictures from our reporter, Helen Davidson, on the ground witnessing the clean-up in Buxton.
If you haven’t already, check out our interactive map showing the scale of the fires compared to major cities. Here is the fire area mapped over London.
Grose Valley in the Blue Mountains is at watch and act level.
An emergency warning has been released for the Northern Expressway Angle Vale fire.
This means homes and lives are under threat at two locations around Adelaide. Already 36 firetrucks and eight aircraft have been sent to fight the Cudlee Creek fire, with a further 20 sent to Angle Vale, which is also burning uncontrolled in grassland.
The fire is burning towards homes at suburban Munno Para Downs, AAP reports.
In both cases, the Country Fire Service says crews are unable to stop the fires from spreading.