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| NSW, Victoria fires: Australian bushfires cause tens of thousands to flee in mass evacuation – live | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Victorian premier Daniel Andrews declares state of disaster for East Gippsland, urging people to flee bushfire zones, while Scott Morrison is abused by fire victims in Cobargo. Follow today’s live news and latest updates | Victorian premier Daniel Andrews declares state of disaster for East Gippsland, urging people to flee bushfire zones, while Scott Morrison is abused by fire victims in Cobargo. Follow today’s live news and latest updates |
| The Bureau of Meteorology has released a weather update for tomorrow, focusing on the fire danger. | |
| Mt Hotham resort closed due to fires | |
| The Mt Hotham resort has been closed due to worsening bushfire conditions in the northeast, chief executive Jon Hutchins says. | |
| A small team of “essential staff” will remain “for asset protection and to support our local CFA staff”. They will use snowmaking equipment to protect key assets from fire, if required. | |
| Mt Hotham is within the area declared a state of disaster in Victoria. All visitors to the mountain have left, Hutchins says, and anyone planning on visiting the area has been urged to stay away. | |
| There are some smaller fires burning in the area already, and it is northeast of the 200,000 hectare Barmouth-Spur fire, the largest of the 550,000 hectare fires burning in East Gippsland. | |
| Mt Hotham is already cut off to the south by closures to the Great Alpine Road, which has been closed since 21 December, and the Dargo High Plains Road, which is also closed due to fire. | |
| The Bogong High Plains Road and the Benambra-Corryong Road are also closed. | |
| The young woman who refused Scott Morrison’s handshake has spoken to the media. | |
| Zoey Salucci-McDermott, 20, told the Ten Network that the encounter with the prime minister left her “in shock” and broke her heart. | |
| Salucci-McDermott, who is 28 weeks pregnant, told the PM she would not shake his hand until he promised more funding for the rural fire service. | |
| In footage of the encounter, which has been beamed around the world, the prime minister is seen taking Salucci-McDermott’s hand anyway after she declines his handshake, before turning his back and walking away. | |
| Salucci-McDermott, who lost her home in the fires, told Ten: “It broke my heart, I would have happily sat down and had a cuppa with him if he’d just asked if I was okay.” | |
| “I told him it was a war zone, and he walked away, and it broke my heart. | |
| “I couldn’t do anything but stand there.” | |
| She added that she thought Morrison’s visit was insincere but also wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt at first. | |
| “When we saw him turn up he was originally taking photos with whoever wanted to take photos ... So I felt it was insincere but I don’t like to judge a book by its cover,” she said. | |
| “He did come up because he did obviously saw I had a child and was obviously pregnant. He came up to us and just went to shake my hand. I said, ‘I can’t.’ You know all that. You saw the video. | |
| “And with the walking away, he wasn’t here to help us, was he?” | |
| On Friday, Morrison claimed he had discussed funding for fire services with Salucci-McDermott when asked why he had turned away from her. Guardian Australia understands there was no further conversation, beyond that shown in the footage. | |
| CFS chief officer Mark Jones said he “sincerely hoped” there were no people remaining on the western half of Kangaroo Island. | |
| If you do not need to be on Kangaroo Island, SA premier Steven Marshall said, they should avoid the area today. | |
| As the mayor of Kangaroo Island, Peter Clements, just told ABC24, it’s “a bugger of a day”. | |
| He said he expected the fire to burn through the entirety of the Flinders Chase national park, which takes up the southwest corner of the island. | |
| Clements said anyone who remained in the western area of the island were “bloody idiots”. | |
| We’re jumping states again to South Australia, which is experiencing today that extreme fire weather followed by a gusty wind change that Victoria and NSW are forecast to get tomorrow. | We’re jumping states again to South Australia, which is experiencing today that extreme fire weather followed by a gusty wind change that Victoria and NSW are forecast to get tomorrow. |
| Country Fire Service chief officer Mark Jones said the biggest threat at the moment is to Kangaroo Island. About 150 firefighters are battling blazes in the west and southwest of the island, and Jones said he was disappointed that many did not heed warnings to leave the island. | |
| Both fires have breached control lines, and fire danger indexes for the island “greatly exceeded those predicted”. | |
| In some good news, the Cudlee Creek fire, which did run today, is being contained. | |
| Jones said he expects homes will have been lost on Kangaroo Island today. | Jones said he expects homes will have been lost on Kangaroo Island today. |
| 95% of ACT firefighters returned home ahead of extreme conditions | 95% of ACT firefighters returned home ahead of extreme conditions |
| To the ACT now, where the chief minister, Andrew Barr, is addressing the media about their fire preparations. | To the ACT now, where the chief minister, Andrew Barr, is addressing the media about their fire preparations. |
| There is no fire in the ACT at the moment but fires in NSW, particularly the Kosciuszko National Park, are close. Barr says 95% of ACT firefighting resources have been returned to the territory ahead of the fire threat tomorrow. | There is no fire in the ACT at the moment but fires in NSW, particularly the Kosciuszko National Park, are close. Barr says 95% of ACT firefighting resources have been returned to the territory ahead of the fire threat tomorrow. |
| Canberra is also a landing point for those who have evacuated from the NSW south coast. | Canberra is also a landing point for those who have evacuated from the NSW south coast. |
| Barr said he recognised that people were anxious about the possibility of evacuations in the ACT itself, if fire starts, and preparations were in place to stand up an evacuation centre at short notice if needed. | Barr said he recognised that people were anxious about the possibility of evacuations in the ACT itself, if fire starts, and preparations were in place to stand up an evacuation centre at short notice if needed. |
| He said the best way for people to help those affected by bushfires was to donate to the Red Cross. | He said the best way for people to help those affected by bushfires was to donate to the Red Cross. |
| Steve Warrington, the chief officer of the Victorian Country Fire Authority, has toured fire-affected areas at Sarsfield near Bairnsdale and is addressing the media in Bairnsdale now. | Steve Warrington, the chief officer of the Victorian Country Fire Authority, has toured fire-affected areas at Sarsfield near Bairnsdale and is addressing the media in Bairnsdale now. |
| He says that 3.5% of the state has been affected by fire, but the most significant impact has been on the loss of lives and homes. | He says that 3.5% of the state has been affected by fire, but the most significant impact has been on the loss of lives and homes. |
| Wairewa, 50km east of Bairnsdale, lost 11 of its 22 homes. | Wairewa, 50km east of Bairnsdale, lost 11 of its 22 homes. |
| Buchan lost 24 homes. Firefighting efforts were focused on saving the centre of Buchan, so the property losses are on the outskirts. | Buchan lost 24 homes. Firefighting efforts were focused on saving the centre of Buchan, so the property losses are on the outskirts. |
| Warrington urged people to think seriously about the prospect that their home could burn down — not just feel bad for those who lost everything but assume it would never happen to them. | Warrington urged people to think seriously about the prospect that their home could burn down — not just feel bad for those who lost everything but assume it would never happen to them. |
| He says even experienced firefighters are scared. | He says even experienced firefighters are scared. |
| Trade in shares of Kangaroo Island Plantation Timber has been halted until next Tuesday while the company assesses the damage of fires that have already destroyed more that 13% of its forests. | Trade in shares of Kangaroo Island Plantation Timber has been halted until next Tuesday while the company assesses the damage of fires that have already destroyed more that 13% of its forests. |
| The company, which grows blue gum and pine trees, has been battling fires on Kangaroo Island, south-west of Adelaide, since before Christmas. | The company, which grows blue gum and pine trees, has been battling fires on Kangaroo Island, south-west of Adelaide, since before Christmas. |
| South Australia’s Country Fire Service has declared an emergency on the island, where two fires are burning. | South Australia’s Country Fire Service has declared an emergency on the island, where two fires are burning. |
| Just yesterday, KIPT said it would try to salvage wood from the areas that have already burned by bringing forward harvesting. | Just yesterday, KIPT said it would try to salvage wood from the areas that have already burned by bringing forward harvesting. |
| The areas so far known to be burned were worth about $20m, KIPT said. | The areas so far known to be burned were worth about $20m, KIPT said. |
| Smoke from the bushfires is affecting air quality in Melbourne. EPA Victoria says the air quality is poor; at that press conference at the state control centre just now the report was “hazardous to poor” air quality in Melbourne and as far west as Geelong. | Smoke from the bushfires is affecting air quality in Melbourne. EPA Victoria says the air quality is poor; at that press conference at the state control centre just now the report was “hazardous to poor” air quality in Melbourne and as far west as Geelong. |
| A statewide air quality warning was issued just after 2.11pm. If your maximum visibility is 1.5km, the alert says, “your air quality is in the hazardous level, and you need to limit your time outdoors, limit exercise, and follow any treatment plans.” | A statewide air quality warning was issued just after 2.11pm. If your maximum visibility is 1.5km, the alert says, “your air quality is in the hazardous level, and you need to limit your time outdoors, limit exercise, and follow any treatment plans.” |
| Granger reiterated that people in the at risk areas of East Gippsland and northeast Victoria should leave. | Granger reiterated that people in the at risk areas of East Gippsland and northeast Victoria should leave. |
| Andrew Crisp said he had been told by the incident controller in Gippsland that there were a lot of people on the road, apparently leaving the area. | Andrew Crisp said he had been told by the incident controller in Gippsland that there were a lot of people on the road, apparently leaving the area. |
| Guardian Australia has been told by people on in northeast Victoria that there has been a steady exodus of people from the alpine region and into Wangaratta. | Guardian Australia has been told by people on in northeast Victoria that there has been a steady exodus of people from the alpine region and into Wangaratta. |
| Mick Granger says that the numbers of those declared deceased and unaccounted for in the East Gippsland fires have not changed. | Mick Granger says that the numbers of those declared deceased and unaccounted for in the East Gippsland fires have not changed. |
| As of this morning, that’s two men confirmed deceased and 28 people unaccounted for. | As of this morning, that’s two men confirmed deceased and 28 people unaccounted for. |
| Granger asked for patience in tracking down those missing people and confirming what has happened to them, and said that number could fluctuate. | Granger asked for patience in tracking down those missing people and confirming what has happened to them, and said that number could fluctuate. |
| He said that police had been working to get into other isolated communities, on top of Mallacoota, to ensure they’re aware of the recommendation to evacuate. Satellite phones have been delivered to many isolated communities so they are no longer cut off. | He said that police had been working to get into other isolated communities, on top of Mallacoota, to ensure they’re aware of the recommendation to evacuate. Satellite phones have been delivered to many isolated communities so they are no longer cut off. |
| Mick Granger from Victoria Police says that 1,200 people are being evacuated from Mallacoota by sea today, and will make the 16-hour voyage to Hastings, which is a deepwater port on the Mornington Peninsula. | Mick Granger from Victoria Police says that 1,200 people are being evacuated from Mallacoota by sea today, and will make the 16-hour voyage to Hastings, which is a deepwater port on the Mornington Peninsula. |
| “We know that one of the ADF vessels has left Mallacoota and they’re in the process of loading about 1,100 people onto a second vessel that’ll leave later this afternoon,” Granger said. | “We know that one of the ADF vessels has left Mallacoota and they’re in the process of loading about 1,100 people onto a second vessel that’ll leave later this afternoon,” Granger said. |
| Another three dozen people or so have been airlifted from Mallacoota to Sale. They are people considered to be at the greatest health risk. | Another three dozen people or so have been airlifted from Mallacoota to Sale. They are people considered to be at the greatest health risk. |
| Richard Russell, from the Bureau of Meteorology, says Victoria will experience “strong, hot dry, north to north-westerly winds” in the fire zone ahead of a south-westerly change tomorrow. | Richard Russell, from the Bureau of Meteorology, says Victoria will experience “strong, hot dry, north to north-westerly winds” in the fire zone ahead of a south-westerly change tomorrow. |
| That change will reach Melbourne about 8am, and East Gippsland around midday, bringing gusty south-westerly winds. | That change will reach Melbourne about 8am, and East Gippsland around midday, bringing gusty south-westerly winds. |
| This is a similar weather pattern to Monday, but the change on Monday came through much later. It was also held back by the smoke column from the East Gippsland fires, which generated its own weather and held back the winds. You also see some swirling winds while the change comes through. | This is a similar weather pattern to Monday, but the change on Monday came through much later. It was also held back by the smoke column from the East Gippsland fires, which generated its own weather and held back the winds. You also see some swirling winds while the change comes through. |
| Temperatures before the wind change are forecast to be very hot — up to 46C in Albury, near the Tallangatta fires. | Temperatures before the wind change are forecast to be very hot — up to 46C in Albury, near the Tallangatta fires. |
| Andrew Crisp warns that new fires could start at any time, anywhere in Victoria. It’s not enough to just look at the fires that are already burning and decide you are safe, he said. | Andrew Crisp warns that new fires could start at any time, anywhere in Victoria. It’s not enough to just look at the fires that are already burning and decide you are safe, he said. |
| Crisp said that people in Victoria had a “shared responsibility” to stay informed about any fires or potential fires in their area, and stay safe. | Crisp said that people in Victoria had a “shared responsibility” to stay informed about any fires or potential fires in their area, and stay safe. |