This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2019/dec/22/nsw-fires-live-updates-near-sydney-new-south-wales-bushfires-south-australia-victoria-latest-news
The article has changed 21 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 18 | Version 19 |
|---|---|
| SA premier says 72 homes destroyed in Cudlee Creek fire as NSW blazes rage on – as it happened | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| PM says link between extreme weather and climate change won’t change policy. Victoria and SA still under bushfire threat as NSW surveys damage. This liveblog is now closed | |
| We are going to leave the live blog there for the night.If you need updates on the fire situations: | |
| • The CFS site is for South Australia• The VicEmergency site is for Victoria• The RFS site is for New South Wales | |
| This site is for South Australia, this is for Victoria, and this is for New South Wales. | |
| There are two fires at watch and act level in New South Wales: the Gosper Mountains fire and the Grose Valley fire. | There are two fires at watch and act level in New South Wales: the Gosper Mountains fire and the Grose Valley fire. |
| Authorities are keeping an eye on ember activity in Athelstone in South Australia from the Cudlee Creek fire. | Authorities are keeping an eye on ember activity in Athelstone in South Australia from the Cudlee Creek fire. |
| Although conditions have been less severe today, it is expected the fires will continue without significant rainfall. | Although conditions have been less severe today, it is expected the fires will continue without significant rainfall. |
| We will have updates in the morning, and in the meantime, please stay safe. | We will have updates in the morning, and in the meantime, please stay safe. |
| My colleague Helen Davidson wrote this just two days ago about the effort to save Balmoral. It’s so utterly devastating that almost all of the town is gone now. | My colleague Helen Davidson wrote this just two days ago about the effort to save Balmoral. It’s so utterly devastating that almost all of the town is gone now. |
| AAP has some more horrific detail on the extent of the devastation in Balmoral. The town has around 150 houses and a population of 400. There is “not much left” but we don’t know exactly how many homes were destroyed yet. | AAP has some more horrific detail on the extent of the devastation in Balmoral. The town has around 150 houses and a population of 400. There is “not much left” but we don’t know exactly how many homes were destroyed yet. |
| AAP: | AAP: |
| Matthew Deeth, who’s the mayor of the neighbouring Wollondilly Shire Council, says everyone knows everyone in the small village. | Matthew Deeth, who’s the mayor of the neighbouring Wollondilly Shire Council, says everyone knows everyone in the small village. |
| “They were all banding together until they got hit yesterday and they were just decimated,” Deeth said on Sunday. | “They were all banding together until they got hit yesterday and they were just decimated,” Deeth said on Sunday. |
| “Most people were pulled out of their houses and if there was nobody defending houses they kind of just all lit up.” | “Most people were pulled out of their houses and if there was nobody defending houses they kind of just all lit up.” |
| Residents in the nearby town of Bargo, north-east of Balmoral, were counting themselves lucky on Sunday. | Residents in the nearby town of Bargo, north-east of Balmoral, were counting themselves lucky on Sunday. |
| One house in Bargo’s Ashby Close was lost to the Green Wattle Creek blaze, with fire damaging a number of other properties in the street. | One house in Bargo’s Ashby Close was lost to the Green Wattle Creek blaze, with fire damaging a number of other properties in the street. |
| Joe Cefai, 50, said the blaze just missed his home. | Joe Cefai, 50, said the blaze just missed his home. |
| Cefai, who evacuated with his two young children and a neighbour, lost a number of buildings next to his house. | Cefai, who evacuated with his two young children and a neighbour, lost a number of buildings next to his house. |
| “It could have been far worse,” he said on Sunday. “I could have easily kissed my home goodbye. To return to see how close it did get, words can’t explain.” | “It could have been far worse,” he said on Sunday. “I could have easily kissed my home goodbye. To return to see how close it did get, words can’t explain.” |
| A total fire ban has been declared for tomorrow in the Mount Lofty Ranges in South Australia. | A total fire ban has been declared for tomorrow in the Mount Lofty Ranges in South Australia. |
| An update on the situation in Victoria from AAP: | An update on the situation in Victoria from AAP: |
| Bushfires in Victoria’s East Gippsland have been downgraded as firefighters get a leg up on blazes thanks to milder weather conditions. | Bushfires in Victoria’s East Gippsland have been downgraded as firefighters get a leg up on blazes thanks to milder weather conditions. |
| A watch and act warning remains active on Sunday for Tambo Crossing, Wattle Circle and Stirling, while the bushfire at Marthavale- Barmouth Spur is still not under control. | A watch and act warning remains active on Sunday for Tambo Crossing, Wattle Circle and Stirling, while the bushfire at Marthavale- Barmouth Spur is still not under control. |
| “Emergency services may not be able to help you if you decide to stay,” the VicEmergency website states. | “Emergency services may not be able to help you if you decide to stay,” the VicEmergency website states. |
| Fire crews have managed to get a handle on two blazes with warnings lowered to advice across Goroke, Lawloit, Little Desert, Peronne, Burnbank, Evansford and surrounding towns. | Fire crews have managed to get a handle on two blazes with warnings lowered to advice across Goroke, Lawloit, Little Desert, Peronne, Burnbank, Evansford and surrounding towns. |
| One of the fires, the Lexton-Ben Major bushfire in the vicinity of Mt Lonarch, has been contained after burning through 2,711 hectares, and an advice warning in place. | One of the fires, the Lexton-Ben Major bushfire in the vicinity of Mt Lonarch, has been contained after burning through 2,711 hectares, and an advice warning in place. |
| It comes as the temperature took a dip on Sunday with about 24C forecast in Tambo Crossing and a milder 22C in Melbourne after a top of 44C in the Victorian capital. | It comes as the temperature took a dip on Sunday with about 24C forecast in Tambo Crossing and a milder 22C in Melbourne after a top of 44C in the Victorian capital. |
| The bushfires have been burning since 21 November but flared up on Saturday after a cool change came through and brought dry lightning strikes. | The bushfires have been burning since 21 November but flared up on Saturday after a cool change came through and brought dry lightning strikes. |
| ABC is reporting SA premier Steven Marshall has said 72 homes have been destroyed in the Cudlee Creek fire. It is up from 15 yesterday. | ABC is reporting SA premier Steven Marshall has said 72 homes have been destroyed in the Cudlee Creek fire. It is up from 15 yesterday. |
| A total of 404 outbuildings and 227 vehicles were also destroyed in the fire. | A total of 404 outbuildings and 227 vehicles were also destroyed in the fire. |
| Here’s a bit more on what the Australian defence force has been doing to help out the firefighting effort in the past day. | Here’s a bit more on what the Australian defence force has been doing to help out the firefighting effort in the past day. |
| An aerial tanker has been provided to the NSW RFS from the RAAF base in Richmond. The HMAS Albatross has helped with water refuelling and retardant loading for the Currowan fires from the naval air station in Nowra. | An aerial tanker has been provided to the NSW RFS from the RAAF base in Richmond. The HMAS Albatross has helped with water refuelling and retardant loading for the Currowan fires from the naval air station in Nowra. |
| The army is also supplying personnel to prepare meals three times a day for 250 firefighters in the northern rivers region from November until mid-January. It is also assisting with transport and logistics for the RFS in Glen Innes, Kempsey, Casino, Wollondilly and in the Hawkesbury. | The army is also supplying personnel to prepare meals three times a day for 250 firefighters in the northern rivers region from November until mid-January. It is also assisting with transport and logistics for the RFS in Glen Innes, Kempsey, Casino, Wollondilly and in the Hawkesbury. |
| Helicopters and accomodation are also being supplied | Helicopters and accomodation are also being supplied |
| You can read more about what defence is doing to help out here. | You can read more about what defence is doing to help out here. |
| I am going to leave you in the very, very capable hands of my colleague Josh Taylor for the rest of the afternoon. | I am going to leave you in the very, very capable hands of my colleague Josh Taylor for the rest of the afternoon. |
| Conditions continue to be a lot better than yesterday, but that just means firefighters are having to try and use what time they have to get ahead of what is coming after that. | Conditions continue to be a lot better than yesterday, but that just means firefighters are having to try and use what time they have to get ahead of what is coming after that. |
| Please pay attention to the alerts and make sure your plan is ready. | Please pay attention to the alerts and make sure your plan is ready. |
| Thank you for following along with me today – and as always, take care of you and those around you. | Thank you for following along with me today – and as always, take care of you and those around you. |