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/23/nsw-fires-live-news-near-sydney-new-south-wales-south-australia-bushfires-victoria-latest-updates
The article has changed 20 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 18 | Version 19 |
|---|---|
| Nation counts cost of Australian blazes after communities devastated – as it happened | |
| (about 13 hours later) | |
| Residents in South Australia and New South Wales wait to discover the extent of devastation from the weekend’s blazes. This blog is now closed | |
| We are going to leave the blog here for the night. As it stands we have two watch and act fires in NSW: the Grose Valley fire and the Forest Road fire in Comberton. | We are going to leave the blog here for the night. As it stands we have two watch and act fires in NSW: the Grose Valley fire and the Forest Road fire in Comberton. |
| In South Australia there are two watch and act fires: the Cudlee Creek fire and the Duncan fire. | In South Australia there are two watch and act fires: the Cudlee Creek fire and the Duncan fire. |
| In WA there is one emergency warning fire in the goldfields region, in parts of Cundeelee. | In WA there is one emergency warning fire in the goldfields region, in parts of Cundeelee. |
| In Victoria, two watch and act emergency warnings remain in place for Tamboo Crossing and Brookville. | In Victoria, two watch and act emergency warnings remain in place for Tamboo Crossing and Brookville. |
| Firefighters are using the milder conditions to help build stronger control lines but, as we have been saying for the past two days, without meaningful rain the fires will continue. | Firefighters are using the milder conditions to help build stronger control lines but, as we have been saying for the past two days, without meaningful rain the fires will continue. |
| Stay safe, everyone. | Stay safe, everyone. |
| An emergency warning has been issued in WA’s goldfields region. | An emergency warning has been issued in WA’s goldfields region. |
| Here’s the situation in Victoria, via AAP. It’s all about preparing for what is to come, with milder weather over Christmas allowing firefighters time to strengthen containment lines: | Here’s the situation in Victoria, via AAP. It’s all about preparing for what is to come, with milder weather over Christmas allowing firefighters time to strengthen containment lines: |
| East Gippsland bushfires burning since 21 November have already burnt through 50,000 hectares. | East Gippsland bushfires burning since 21 November have already burnt through 50,000 hectares. |
| “We suspect these fires will burn for some weeks, if not months,” CFA chief officer Steve Warrington said. | “We suspect these fires will burn for some weeks, if not months,” CFA chief officer Steve Warrington said. |
| “We have a few days of respite where we’ll be putting in stronger control lines.“We will try to build this control line so that fire doesn’t run out of there and we can fight it within these lines, but the reality is that these fires are active and very dangerous.” | “We have a few days of respite where we’ll be putting in stronger control lines.“We will try to build this control line so that fire doesn’t run out of there and we can fight it within these lines, but the reality is that these fires are active and very dangerous.” |
| Two watch and act emergency warnings remain in place for Tamboo Crossing and Brookville, with heavy smoke present throughout the Tambo Valley. | Two watch and act emergency warnings remain in place for Tamboo Crossing and Brookville, with heavy smoke present throughout the Tambo Valley. |
| Air quality around the area is expected to be very poor to hazardous over the next 24 hours. An air quality warning was issued on Monday in Melbourne and other parts of the state. | Air quality around the area is expected to be very poor to hazardous over the next 24 hours. An air quality warning was issued on Monday in Melbourne and other parts of the state. |
| Comberton has been downgraded from emergency warning to watch and act. There are now no emergency warning-level fires in NSW. Just two watch and act: the Comberton fire and the Grose Valley fire. | Comberton has been downgraded from emergency warning to watch and act. There are now no emergency warning-level fires in NSW. Just two watch and act: the Comberton fire and the Grose Valley fire. |
| We have updated the map again so you can see the sheer size of the amount of land in Australia ravaged by bushfires. We are now up to 3.6m hectares burned in NSW and Queensland since the start of the 2019 fire season. | We have updated the map again so you can see the sheer size of the amount of land in Australia ravaged by bushfires. We are now up to 3.6m hectares burned in NSW and Queensland since the start of the 2019 fire season. |
| I spoke to Dale Adams, a lieutenant at the Eden Hills Country Fire Service, who took this photo of a koala meeting a firefighter as a fire rages in the background. | I spoke to Dale Adams, a lieutenant at the Eden Hills Country Fire Service, who took this photo of a koala meeting a firefighter as a fire rages in the background. |
| He said the photo was taken at Lobethal on Friday while protecting homes. Two koalas wandered out of the bush seeking assistance. | He said the photo was taken at Lobethal on Friday while protecting homes. Two koalas wandered out of the bush seeking assistance. |
| “Up behind us there were a couple of houses under threat so we were working to protect them from ember attack and the firefront and they stepped out of the bush seeking help,” he said. | “Up behind us there were a couple of houses under threat so we were working to protect them from ember attack and the firefront and they stepped out of the bush seeking help,” he said. |
| Adams said it was common for koalas to seek help from firefighters in these situations. The koalas were given water and moved to a safer location. Firefighters lost track of them and they were eventually forced to pull out of the property. | Adams said it was common for koalas to seek help from firefighters in these situations. The koalas were given water and moved to a safer location. Firefighters lost track of them and they were eventually forced to pull out of the property. |
| Good evening everyone, Amy Corderoy handing over to Josh Taylor now. | Good evening everyone, Amy Corderoy handing over to Josh Taylor now. |
| A “watch and act” warning remained in place for the Adelaide Hills fire, with the CFS worried about increasing temperatures in the coming days. | A “watch and act” warning remained in place for the Adelaide Hills fire, with the CFS worried about increasing temperatures in the coming days. |
| By the weekend, the mercury will again be nudging 40C, raising fire-risk fears. | By the weekend, the mercury will again be nudging 40C, raising fire-risk fears. |
| Fires are also still burning on Kangaroo Island, where one home has been confirmed lost.Assessment teams were still checking on other properties. | Fires are also still burning on Kangaroo Island, where one home has been confirmed lost.Assessment teams were still checking on other properties. |
| So far about 40,000ha have been burnt across the state, including 25,000ha in the Adelaide Hills. | So far about 40,000ha have been burnt across the state, including 25,000ha in the Adelaide Hills. |
| One person, 69-year-old Ron Selth, died in that fire as he tried to defend his property at Charleston. | One person, 69-year-old Ron Selth, died in that fire as he tried to defend his property at Charleston. |
| Three more remain in hospital with burns, including noted horse trainer John Glatz, who is in a critical but stable condition. | Three more remain in hospital with burns, including noted horse trainer John Glatz, who is in a critical but stable condition. |
| Country Fire Service crews have worked to contain flare-ups across the Adelaide Hills as the losses from the devastating bushfire mount and deteriorating weather conditions loom. | Country Fire Service crews have worked to contain flare-ups across the Adelaide Hills as the losses from the devastating bushfire mount and deteriorating weather conditions loom. |
| Small areas still burning within the fire’s 127km perimeter roared back into life on Monday but were dealt with quickly, the CFS still having about 200 firefighters on the ground, AAP reports. | Small areas still burning within the fire’s 127km perimeter roared back into life on Monday but were dealt with quickly, the CFS still having about 200 firefighters on the ground, AAP reports. |
| The incidents came as the losses from the blaze continued to rise, with 86 homes now confirmed destroyed, along with almost 500 other buildings. | The incidents came as the losses from the blaze continued to rise, with 86 homes now confirmed destroyed, along with almost 500 other buildings. |
| The number of vehicles lost had jumped to 278. | The number of vehicles lost had jumped to 278. |
| Agricultural losses are also growing, with about 1100ha of vineyards thought destroyed or damaged, equal to about a third of the area’s grape production, while cherry farmers were hard hit. | Agricultural losses are also growing, with about 1100ha of vineyards thought destroyed or damaged, equal to about a third of the area’s grape production, while cherry farmers were hard hit. |
| Premier Steven Marshall visited the fireground on Monday and said there was still much work to be done to fully contain the fire and to help the victims and wider communities. | Premier Steven Marshall visited the fireground on Monday and said there was still much work to be done to fully contain the fire and to help the victims and wider communities. |
| Western Australia’s firefighting aerial fleet has dropped 8.9m litres of water so far this bushfire season, which is more than half the water used for the entirety of 2018-19. | Western Australia’s firefighting aerial fleet has dropped 8.9m litres of water so far this bushfire season, which is more than half the water used for the entirety of 2018-19. |
| The recent Yanchep bushfire alone accounted for about 4.7m litres of water, emergency services minister Francis Logan said. | The recent Yanchep bushfire alone accounted for about 4.7m litres of water, emergency services minister Francis Logan said. |
| It is also the driest start to the southern season in more than 40 years, AAP reports. | It is also the driest start to the southern season in more than 40 years, AAP reports. |
| The Georgia Peach aircrane, which has been fighting fires in Greece, arrived in Perth on Monday. | The Georgia Peach aircrane, which has been fighting fires in Greece, arrived in Perth on Monday. |
| WA’s aerial fleet now consists of 33 rotary and fixed-wing suppression and aerial intelligence aircraft. | WA’s aerial fleet now consists of 33 rotary and fixed-wing suppression and aerial intelligence aircraft. |
| The federal government has announced it will underwrite two new gas-fired power stations, with Scott Morrison saying it may still greenlight coal-fired generation for Queensland and New South Wales. | The federal government has announced it will underwrite two new gas-fired power stations, with Scott Morrison saying it may still greenlight coal-fired generation for Queensland and New South Wales. |
| Even as Australia suffers through a record-breaking heatwave Morrison said the government would continue to explore all power options and would not be deterred by “lots of shouting noises” and instead would listen to “those quiet still voices”. | Even as Australia suffers through a record-breaking heatwave Morrison said the government would continue to explore all power options and would not be deterred by “lots of shouting noises” and instead would listen to “those quiet still voices”. |
| While the number of active fires has declined, this map from My Fire Watch shows how many fires are still active across mainland Australia. | While the number of active fires has declined, this map from My Fire Watch shows how many fires are still active across mainland Australia. |
| The picture shows fire hotspots that are within 0-12 hours old in red, and those that are 12-24 hours old in orange. | The picture shows fire hotspots that are within 0-12 hours old in red, and those that are 12-24 hours old in orange. |
| My Fire Watch is a project run by a collaboration between Landgate and Edith Cowan University. | My Fire Watch is a project run by a collaboration between Landgate and Edith Cowan University. |
| Scott Morrison’s visit to bushfire ravaged NSW has divided locals who battled a “fireball” while the prime minister was on holiday in Hawaii. | Scott Morrison’s visit to bushfire ravaged NSW has divided locals who battled a “fireball” while the prime minister was on holiday in Hawaii. |
| Morrison today took an aerial tour of the bushland where the Gospers Mountain megafire destroyed dozens of buildings over the weekend, before arriving in Mudgee to meet evacuated residents and NSW Rural Fire Service members. | Morrison today took an aerial tour of the bushland where the Gospers Mountain megafire destroyed dozens of buildings over the weekend, before arriving in Mudgee to meet evacuated residents and NSW Rural Fire Service members. |
| Morrison spoke with locals staying at the Mudgee Evacuation Centre who were nervously waiting to hear if their homes - saved once already on the weekend - were again about to be in the path of the megafire after it changed direction. | Morrison spoke with locals staying at the Mudgee Evacuation Centre who were nervously waiting to hear if their homes - saved once already on the weekend - were again about to be in the path of the megafire after it changed direction. |
| Ilford family John and Nova Cunningham and their three children arrived at the Mudgee Evacuation Centre at 11pm on Saturday. | Ilford family John and Nova Cunningham and their three children arrived at the Mudgee Evacuation Centre at 11pm on Saturday. |
| “There was a fireball that came through, it was this huge roar and that’s when it just hit everybody and we had to leave,” Nova Cunningham told the pool reporters on tour with the PM. | “There was a fireball that came through, it was this huge roar and that’s when it just hit everybody and we had to leave,” Nova Cunningham told the pool reporters on tour with the PM. |
| John Cunningham said he thought it was “good” Morrison had visited but felt he shouldn’t have gone on holiday last week. | John Cunningham said he thought it was “good” Morrison had visited but felt he shouldn’t have gone on holiday last week. |
| “I believe everyone is entitled to a holiday, but I think as the voice of the people he probably should have stayed”. | “I believe everyone is entitled to a holiday, but I think as the voice of the people he probably should have stayed”. |
| Running Stream farmers Diana, 73, and Keith, 76, Rutter said Morrison shouldn’t have had to cut his holiday short. | Running Stream farmers Diana, 73, and Keith, 76, Rutter said Morrison shouldn’t have had to cut his holiday short. |
| “He shouldn’t have come back from holiday early, because he’s going to be needed so much more in the new year,” Diana Rutter said. | “He shouldn’t have come back from holiday early, because he’s going to be needed so much more in the new year,” Diana Rutter said. |