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Australia fires live: NSW, Victoria and SA wake to bushfires devastation – latest updates
Australia fires live: one dead in New South Wales bushfires – latest updates
(30 minutes later)
Large parts of south-eastern Australia faced shocking bushfire conditions as hot winds swept the fire grounds late on Saturday night, after Scott Morrison called in defence personnel. Follow all today’s news
The RFS commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, says he was disappointed to learn about PM’s announcement to deploy army reservists through the media. Follow all today’s live news and latest updates
Shane Fitzsimmons, the NSW RFS commissioner who has steered the state through one of the worst fire crises the country has ever seen, gave a very measured - but very telling - interview to the Nine network’s Today Show.
Shane Fitzsimmons on the two fires still at emergency alert levesl:
NSW RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons explains a little bit more about what firefighters were dealing with yesterday:
A recovery coordinator has been appointed for southern NSW (there is also one in the north)
Gladys Berejiklian
Gladys Berejiklian says NSW police have confirmed one person died from a heart attack overnight during the Batlow fire.
The good news is no one is currently unaccounted for in NSW.
The light here is not because of nearby fires – it is the sunlight coming through the smoke.
The duke and duchess of Cambridge have posted about the fires on their official instagram account to their 10.6m followers.
They have recently announced a plan to focus on climate change.
You can hear what Shane Fitzsimmons had to say to the Today show here:
Shane Fitzsimmons and the NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, are about to hold a press conference, having just received a morning briefing.
Relations between the NSW Coalition government and the Morrison Coalition government seem a little strained at the moment. In fact, it seems like Scott Morrison is getting along better with the Victorian Labor premier, Daniel Andrews, at the moment.
Instagram influencer and comedian Celeste Barber’s fundraiser for the NSW RFS has surpassed $16m.
The prime minister’s office has responded to Shane Fitzsimmons’s “disappointment”.
There are a number of major Victorian roads which are still closed:
The latest update from VicRoads shows:
Hume Freeway is closed southbound and being diverted through Euroa back to the freeway.
Northbound traffic of the Hume Freeway is now open. The Princes Highway is closed between Old Bunga Road (Lakes Entrance) and the New South Wales border in East Gippsland.
If travelling, please be vigilant in smoky conditions and use your headlights to be seen.
Shane Fitzsimmons, the NSW RFS commissioner who has steered the state through one of the worst fire crisis the country has ever seen, gave a very measured – but very telling – interview to the Nine network’s Today Show.
Asked about the additional ADF deployment, he had this to say:
Asked about the additional ADF deployment, he had this to say:
The announcement came as the NSW RFS were dealing with mass evacuations of southern NSW, and an almost record breaking amount of emergency fire warnings.
The announcement came as the NSW RFS were dealing with mass evacuations of southern NSW, and an almost record-breaking number of emergency fire warnings.
The Kangaroo Island fire, which has so far claimed two lives, a father and son, is also still burning.
The Kangaroo Island fire, which has so far claimed two lives, a father and son, is also still burning.
About a third of the island has been ravaged. That’s about 150,000ha. At least one resort has been destroyed, but it is still too dangerous to get too much of an idea of what else has been lost.
About a third of the island has been ravaged. That’s about 150,000ha. At least one resort has been destroyed, but it is still too dangerous to get too much of an idea of what else has been lost.
And then we hear this from the NSW RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons. He learned of the prime minister’s decision to send in more ADF resources from the media announcement:
And then we hear this from the NSW RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons. He learned of the prime minister’s decision to send in more ADF resources from the media announcement:
The prime minister Scott Morrison has done an exclusive interview with the Sunday News Corp papers.
The prime minister, Scott Morrison, has done an exclusive interview with the Sunday News Corp papers.
Here is some of what he had to say.
Here is some of what he had to say.
On the decision to provide resources without being asked by the states, he said it became “palpably clear” the commonwealth needed to step in:
On the decision to provide resources without being asked by the states, he said it became “palpably clear” the commonwealth needed to step in:
“We have spent three to four months operating under … the national set of arrangements the states and territories recommended and wanted,” Mr Morrison said.
“We have spent three to four months operating under … the national set of arrangements the states and territories recommended and wanted.
“Now I have said, ‘We are doing this’.”
“Now I have said, ‘We are doing this.’ ”
And on the criticisms of his leadership, including the forced handshakes:
And on the criticisms of his leadership, including the forced handshakes:
And on why he is not taking any of the criticism personally:
And on why he is not taking any of the criticism personally:
People in Canberra have woken up to a yellow-brown sky and the world’s worst air quality again.
People in Canberra have woken up to a yellow-brown sky and the world’s worst air quality again.
More than 900,000 hectares of land has been overrun by flames in Victoria, with about 110 properties and 220 outbuildings razed so far.
More than 900,000ha has been overrun by flames in Victoria, with about 110 properties and 220 outbuildings razed so far.
More than 70 new fires were sparked in Victoria the 24 hours to 6pm on Saturday.
More than 70 new fires were sparked in Victoria in the 24 hours to 6pm on Saturday.
Dozens of fires were burning in Victoria early on Sunday, 13 of which were subject to emergency warnings, the highest alert level.
Dozens of fires were burning in Victoria early on Sunday, 13 of which were subject to emergency warnings, the highest alert level.
Six people remain missing in East Gippsland blazes, on top of two confirmed dead.
Six people remain missing in the East Gippsland blazes, on top of two confirmed dead.
The mercury is forecast to peak in the early 20s in East Gippsland, with rainfall of about 20ml expected later in the day. In the northeast, temperatures could hit the late 20s in some parts, with some rainfall - albeit it likely less than 5ml - expected. This will bring some relief to firefighters but Daniel Andrews has warned Victorians to remain vigilant
The mercury is forecast to peak in the early 20s in East Gippsland, with rainfall of about 20ml expected later in the day. In the north-east, temperatures could hit the late 20s in some parts, with some rainfall – albeit likely less than 5ml – expected. This will bring some relief to firefighters but Daniel Andrews has warned Victorians to remain vigilant.
Merimbula in the far south coast is currently the main evacuation zone for the surrounding areas, including Eden.
Merimbula in the far south coast is the main evacuation zone for the surrounding areas, including Eden.
The fire there also briefly closed the Hume highway, which links Sydney to Canberra, between Picton and Majura overnight. The smoke over that 100km stretch was judged too dangerous.
The fire is still at emergency alert, so the highway could close again. We’ll keep you updated.
We are slowly getting news out of the Southern Highlands after the fires burned through there overnight.
It’s not looking good
Also closed in NSW:
South of Nowra: • Jerrawangala to Tomerong - Turpentine Road is closed • Wandandian - Wandean Road is closed • Nowra Hill to Charleyong - Braidwood Road/Nerriga Road is closed
South of Tilba Tilba: • Cobargo - Cobargo Road is closed
Around Braidwood: • Braidwood to Nelligen - the Kings Highway is closed • Braidwood to Moruya - Araluen Road is closed • Braidwood to Cooma - Cooma Road is closed
In and around the Snowy Mountains: • Adelong to Tumblong - Grahamstown Road is closed • Adelong to Rosewood – Wondalga Road • Tumbarumba to Batlow and Gilmore - Batlow Road is closed • Green Hills to Courabyra – Lower Bago Road/Taradale Road • All roads in the Kosciuszko National Park are closed including: o Jindabyne to Khancoban – Alpine Way o Jindabyne to Charlotte Pass – Kosciuszko Road o Paddys River to Khancoban – Swampy Plains Creek Road/Tooma Road/Snow Ridge Road/Goat Ridge Road/Elliott Way
At Holbrook: • Holbrook to Jingelic - Jingelic Road is closed
A number of smaller local roads are also closed in these areas, as well as roads across the New South Wales-Victorian border.
Make sure you follow www.livetraffic.com for NSW road closures. The most recent list includes:
On the South Coast: The Princes Highway is still closed between; • Falls Creek (Jervis Bay Road) and Milton (Corks Lane) • North Batemans Bay and Lake Tabourie • Mogo and Moruya • Broadwater (north of Eden) and the Victorian Border
In the Southern Highlands: • The Hume Highway is open after being closed between Wilton and Marulan but there is thick smoke in the area. • The Illawarra Highway remains closed between Sutton Forest (the Hume Highway) and Moss Vale (Moss Vale Road) • Nowra Road and Moss Vale Road are closed between Fitzroy Falls and Bomaderry • Trains are not running between Campbelltown and Goulburn on the Southern Highlands Lane. Replacement buses are running between Campbelltown and Picton only so delay travel.
In the Snowy Mountains: • The Snowy Mountains Highway remains closed between: o Mount Adrah (the Hume Highway) and Gilmore (Batlow Road) o Tumut and Cooma o The Monaro Highway and Princes Highway via Bemboka
There is still quite a bit of anger over this ad, put out in the midst of the fire crisis.
The prime minister responded to it last night
Not sure that is going to cut it.
The Governor-General David Hurley has passed on a condolence message from Queen Elizabeth, to “all Australians” over the bushfire emergency.
“I have been deeply saddened to hear of the continued bushfires and their devastating impact across many parts of Australia,” the statement read.
“My thanks go out to the emergency services, and those who put their own lives in danger to help communities in need. Prince Philip and I send our thoughts and prayers to all Australians at this difficult time.”
NSW authorities are still asking people to lay off the non-essential power use.
Fires in the Snowy Mountains have impacted the electricity supply
In NSW, two fires are still at the emergency alert level.
That’s the Border fire in the Bega Valley, near the Victorian border, and the Morton fire, which is in Bundanoon
From the RFS:
Bundanoon, Wingello, Penrose, Meryla, Exeter, Avoca, Fitzroy Falls and surrounding areas - It is too late to leave. - Seek shelter as the fire approaches. Protect yourself from the heat of the fire.
If you are in the area of Wonboyn, Kiah, Narrabarba and surrounds, the fire has moved through this area.
If you are in the areas of Burragate and Towamba, it is too late to leave. Seek shelter as the fire approaches and protect yourself from the heat of the fire.
If you are in the areas of Wyndham, Rocky Hall, Nethercote, Eden and surrounds, continue to monitor conditions and be prepared to act should conditions change.
The areas of Merimbula, Pambula and surrounds are not under any current threat.
In the last 30 minutes, Victoria has gone from 11 emergency warnings to five.
But authorities are warning people not to get complacent.
People in northeast Victoria - Dandongadale, Wandiligong and Freeburgh were told to leave overnight when the wind changed.
Six people remain unaccounted for.
Nearly one million hectares of land has been burned so far, just in Victoria.
Temperatures have dropped, which is good news for firefighters. The weather bureau puts temps in the low 20s for the east Gippsland today. It’ll be warmer in the northeast, which could reach the high 20s.
The big worry today - and for the near future - is that the Corryong blaze could merge with the Dunns Road fire across the NSW border.
This morning looks like it will be another tough one for firefighters as the fire that took hold in the southern highlands overnight continues to rage. We have yet to hear the extent of the damage from the catastrophic conditions yesterday but slightly cooler conditions have seen some fires downgraded.
We’ll bring you all the days events as they happen.
