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Australia fires live: Mallacoota fire in Victoria turns sky black as NSW faces bushfires threat - latest updates Australia fires live: Mallacoota fire in Victoria turns sky black as NSW faces bushfires threat - latest updates
(32 minutes later)
Conditions worsen with more than 4,000 on the beach at Mallacoota in Victoria after a devastating day yesterday and the death of a firefighter in New South Wales. Follow live news and latest updatesConditions worsen with more than 4,000 on the beach at Mallacoota in Victoria after a devastating day yesterday and the death of a firefighter in New South Wales. Follow live news and latest updates
More than 200 horses spent the night in Bairnsdale saleyards last night while their worried owners camped at the nearby evacuation center or found other places to lay their swags in town. Crisp says there have been 200,000ha burnt or burning across East Gippsland. Separately, it’s been reported there are about 20,000 homes without power in Victoria.
Melanie McCann and her 15-year-old daughter Gabrielle spend the night on the floor of her workplace in town while fire threatened their property at Nicholson. They moved three horses into the saleyards at 11.30am on Monday and helped a neighbour move theirs.They learned from that same neighbour this morning that their house had been spared. Crisp says there wasn’t an evacuation order for Mallacoota (while other towns were evacuated over Sunday and Monday). They couldn’t move out of the town because of fires in the west, and to the north-east in NSW.
“We came into town ourselves about 4.30pm and my husband came in at 6pm... no point putting anyone in danger if they find need to be. The saleyards have been providing free board, and in some cases feed, for displaced stock for several days. Some horses have come from as far away as Omeo. There are cattle, goats, sheep, and even a watchful Maremma in the yards. Andrews says the Victorian government has requested assistance from 70 fire fighters from the US and Canada.
Andrews says he has asked the prime minister for assistance from the defence force this morning. The two spoke via text message today.
The official is asked what will happen to those who did not evacuate to the foreshore at Mallacoota.
He says people in the town were briefed and knew that they were to move to the beach when sirens sounded. That occurred at 8am.
Fire crews will not be sent to isolated communities, he says.
Those that did not move to the beach were “taking their chances”.
There are homes being lost in and around Mallacoota “as we speak”.
A number of homes have been lost in Mallacoota, but the town is still under attack, an official says.
The town is “pitch black” but three strike teams are standing side by side to protect those who have evacuated to the beach front.
“It is quite scary in that community. The community right now is under threat but we will hold our line and they will be safe and protected.”
The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews says there are four people in the state who are unaccounted for.
“And of course we have fears for their safety,” he says.
Crisp says there has been “significant property” losses across East Gippsland.
He names towns including Sarsfield, Buchan and Gelantipy.
The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews says there are four people in the state who are unaccounted for.
“And of course we have fears for their safety,” he says.
He declines to say where but notes they were in active fire environments.
Crisp turns to Mallacoota, which is he says is facing an ember attack right now. He confirms there are 4,000 people on the beach who are being protected by firefighters there.
Crisp pays respect to NSW RFS volunteer Samuel McPaul, who died yesterday.
He says in the north-east of Victoria, there have been property losses in at a town near Kooriyong. Kooriyong is being impacted by the fire which ran 30km last night.
The Victorian emergency management commissioner, Andrew Crisp, is addressing media.
He says there were 200 new fires yesterday, and 60 new fires that started after midnight.
More than 200 horses spent the night in Bairnsdale saleyards last night while their worried owners camped at the nearby evacuation centre or found other places to lay their swags in town.
Melanie McCann and her 15-year-old daughter Gabrielle spent the night on the floor of her workplace in town while fire threatened their property at Nicholson. They moved three horses into the saleyards at 11.30am on Monday and helped a neighbour move theirs. They learned from that same neighbour this morning that their house had been spared.
“We came into town ourselves about 4.30pm and my husband came in at 6pm ... no point putting anyone in danger if they don’t need to be. The saleyards have been providing free board, and in some cases feed, for displaced stock for several days. Some horses have come from as far away as Omeo. There are cattle, goats, sheep, and even a watchful maremma in the yards.
Johanna Toohey moved four of her horses off her property just north of Bairnsdale, in the path of the Barmouth Spur Fire, on Saturday. They came to the saleyards on Sunday. She spent the night on the floor of a rental property she owns in Bairnsdale, which just happened to be vacant.Johanna Toohey moved four of her horses off her property just north of Bairnsdale, in the path of the Barmouth Spur Fire, on Saturday. They came to the saleyards on Sunday. She spent the night on the floor of a rental property she owns in Bairnsdale, which just happened to be vacant.
“There was no furniture, no power, but it was somewhere to be safe.”“There was no furniture, no power, but it was somewhere to be safe.”
An irate sheep, which she also brought into town along with her dog and cats, spent the night bellowing in the backyard. She returned to get them at 4.30pm, when the column of smoke was looming over the town, then turned the sprinklers on and left. She packed so quickly that she had to make a late-night trip to Kmart to buy underwear.An irate sheep, which she also brought into town along with her dog and cats, spent the night bellowing in the backyard. She returned to get them at 4.30pm, when the column of smoke was looming over the town, then turned the sprinklers on and left. She packed so quickly that she had to make a late-night trip to Kmart to buy underwear.
“My home is safe,” she said. “I have got no water left because I used it all... there is not a drop of water in the house. “My home is safe,” she said. “I have got no water left because I used it all ... there is not a drop of water in the house.
This photo was posted about an hour ago at Cobargo in the Bega Valley, NSW.This photo was posted about an hour ago at Cobargo in the Bega Valley, NSW.
There are now seven emergency warnings in place in NSW and eight in Victoria.
Samuel McPaul’s colleagues have paid tribute to a “beautiful young man” who loved “putting the community first”.
McPaul, who leaves behind a wife and child due in May, was a skilled mechanic and avid basketballer, who worked as a coach for local kids.
“He did everything for the right reasons,” an RFS spokesman said. “His mother Christine is a wonderful woman who raised him and raised a really good son there.
“He gave a lot of his time to basketball in the area. He was a representative player for Wagga and was actually, at the time, undertaking a fair bit of training and coaching for the kids. Basically, he was putting the community first and what we saw yesterday was just a very unfortunate price to pay for putting the community first.”
“He had a degree in biology or zoology, and then decided to take his hand to being a mechanic,” his RFS colleagues said. “He was a very good mechanic that worked for one of our service providers in Culcairn. And it’s a sad day, when you think about it, Sam probably serviced one of those trucks that he was on and it would have been in good order.
“It is a sad thing for the community, the community of Culcairn, Holbrook and even the greater community.”
Two emergency warnings issued in NSW over the past half hour.
Firefighters in Albury have provided more details on the tragic loss of Samuel McPaul, the volunteer firefighter and soon-to-be father, who died last night.
An RFS spokesman said the truck was hit by a “freakish weather event that had to be seen to be believed”, best described as a “fire tornado”.
McPaul and his crew were sent to a fire in the upper Murray, started by a lightning strike, that grew so large it created its own weather system, known as a pyrocumulonimbus.
“That cloud became very unstable,” the spokesman said. “It had a height of around about 8,000 metres and unfortunately, it appears to have collapsed during yesterday’s deteriorating weather, causing erratic fire behaviour and erratic winds at the foot of the fire in all directions.
“We had a crew working in a paddock that were trying to muster up some cattle that were caught in the corner of the paddock. They were only 50 metres from a gate that they entered and they were on flat ground with very low fuel.
“The crew decided to move away from that area and, quite unexpectedly, very suddenly, they experienced extreme winds, and what could only be described as a fire tornado, that lifted the back of the truck, fully inverted it and landed it on its roof, trapping three people, three crew that is, and unfortunately, one of them fatally.”
The conditions were so “freakish”, that veteran firefighters couldn’t believe what they had seen, the spokesman said.
“Sam was a 28-year-old firefighter ... He was trained and doing everything right on the day when something went wrong and it’s just incredibly unfortunate what happened.
“The driver was a veteran captain of 35 years-plus experience and after speaking with him in hospital last night, he said the ground he was on was safe.
“He thought he was in the right spot, and just this freakish weather event, that would have to be seen to be believed, and even then other veteran firefighters don’t believe what they saw, engulfed that vehicle with flame, and strong winds and literally picked up an 8-tonne truck and flipped it over.”
Updates from Mallacoota.
The prime minister, Scott Morrison, has issued this statement on the death of 28-year-old volunteer firefighter Samuel McPaul.
And others are taking shelter on the beach on the NSW South Coast.
At 11am, the Victoria premier, Daniel Andrews, will address the media with emergency services officials.
It was reported yesterday evening that Andrews returned from holiday due to the fires.
Mark tells ABC Gippsland there is about 5,000 down at the main boat ramp and community centre. The town was pitch black but half the sky is now red. The line is crackling.
There are ambulances and fire brigades patrolling the area. “The car park is just completely chockers with vehicles.”