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| Australia fires live: NSW, Victoria and South Australian bushfires flare amid extreme conditions – latest updates | Australia fires live: NSW, Victoria and South Australian bushfires flare amid extreme conditions – latest updates |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Exhausted firefighters on Kangaroo Island continue to battle blazes while there are fears bushfires could merge in NSW and Victoria. Follow the latest news and live updates | Exhausted firefighters on Kangaroo Island continue to battle blazes while there are fears bushfires could merge in NSW and Victoria. Follow the latest news and live updates |
| Josh Taylor here taking over from my colleague Naaman Zhou, taking you into this evening with condition worsening. | |
| Thanks to Naaman for running the blog this afternoon. | |
| Our data team have also updated our animated graphic of how the fires have spread – looking at specific fires all across the country. | |
| The East Ournie Creek fire (which stretches to the Victorian border) is now only 300m away from merging with the Dunns Road fire. | |
| It is almost inevitable that many fires in the south will join, Fitzsimmons says. | |
| There has been increased fire activity around the Tumut and Tumbarumba area, he says. | |
| “That’s resulting in a couple of the fires continuing to join up in a number of locations. We will end up with, at the end of today and whatever happens tonight, with another complex of fires that have all joined together to create another large challenge.” | |
| In good news, Fitzsimmons says the fires near Kosciuszko national park are not posing any threat to the ski resorts of Thredbo and Perisher. | |
| Fires today are staying within the RFS’s predicted spread map, Fitzsimmons says, but “we still have many hours to go of these north westerlies strengthening ahead of the frontal activity”. | |
| That new fire in the Blue Mountains is not a threat to homes, he says, and is “still a few kilometres north of the townships”. | |
| Water bombing aircraft are up and blanketing that fire. | |
| RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons and premier Gladys Berejiklian are speaking now. | |
| They say that two new fires have sprung up – the emergency fire near Coonabarabran, and one in the Blue Mountains. | |
| Indications are both were started by lightning strikes, Fitzsimmons says. | |
| An update on the new emergency fire near Coonabarabran. The Newell Highway is now closed between Coonabarabran and Narrabri. The fire is moving southwest. | |
| But the Oxley highway is still open north to south. | |
| The message to properties nearby is to shelter in place. | |
| These fires are about 1.3km apart. | These fires are about 1.3km apart. |
| I’ve just had a chat to a semi-retired bulldozer operator at Whorouly in northeast Victoria, where the Abbeyard fire is burning at an emergency warning level. | I’ve just had a chat to a semi-retired bulldozer operator at Whorouly in northeast Victoria, where the Abbeyard fire is burning at an emergency warning level. |
| Doug Hamilton’s family company handles local earthmoving and fire-break contracts for Hancocks Victorian Plantation Holdings (which owns the pine plantations which flank the hills on the way to Bright) as well as the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, and the CFA. They have about 15 bulldozers in the field building fire breaks today but Hamilton is not coordinating that. | Doug Hamilton’s family company handles local earthmoving and fire-break contracts for Hancocks Victorian Plantation Holdings (which owns the pine plantations which flank the hills on the way to Bright) as well as the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, and the CFA. They have about 15 bulldozers in the field building fire breaks today but Hamilton is not coordinating that. |
| He’s at their home and business headquarters at Whorouly, which is also under an evacuation alert, preparing it for the possible arrival of fire. | He’s at their home and business headquarters at Whorouly, which is also under an evacuation alert, preparing it for the possible arrival of fire. |
| Asked how this compared to other fire seasons he had experienced in the Ovens region, he said: “I don’t recall anything so big as this, so early in the season. And this is not about to go out either, I don’t think.” | Asked how this compared to other fire seasons he had experienced in the Ovens region, he said: “I don’t recall anything so big as this, so early in the season. And this is not about to go out either, I don’t think.” |
| The Victorian alpine region, including the area around Mt Buffalo, burned in 2002-2003, 2006-2007 and 2009. The total area burned in Victoria so far this summer has already exceeded those fires, topping 1.2m hectares. | The Victorian alpine region, including the area around Mt Buffalo, burned in 2002-2003, 2006-2007 and 2009. The total area burned in Victoria so far this summer has already exceeded those fires, topping 1.2m hectares. |
| Hamilton again: “It’s not good. It’s not a lot of fun. I feel for everyone involved. There would be nothing like four inches of good rain right about now.” | Hamilton again: “It’s not good. It’s not a lot of fun. I feel for everyone involved. There would be nothing like four inches of good rain right about now.” |
| The main Abbeyard fire is currently 60,000ha in size and spot fires have been reported at its western edge, at Whorouly South and Carboor. There’s an emergency warning current for the King Valley and Whitfield on the western edge, and Mt Hotham which is sandwiched between that and another fire. | The main Abbeyard fire is currently 60,000ha in size and spot fires have been reported at its western edge, at Whorouly South and Carboor. There’s an emergency warning current for the King Valley and Whitfield on the western edge, and Mt Hotham which is sandwiched between that and another fire. |
| Evacuate now warnings have been issued for three sides of the Abbeyard fire, taking in almost all of the King and Ovens River valleys. | Evacuate now warnings have been issued for three sides of the Abbeyard fire, taking in almost all of the King and Ovens River valleys. |
| I’ve spent the past day or so seeking some clarification around the NSW and Queensland compensation schemes for volunteer firefighters. | I’ve spent the past day or so seeking some clarification around the NSW and Queensland compensation schemes for volunteer firefighters. |
| This week the Queensland government released details about its scheme. NSW’s is expected to be the same but they haven’t released as much detail. | This week the Queensland government released details about its scheme. NSW’s is expected to be the same but they haven’t released as much detail. |
| The federally-funded but state-administered scheme provides for “income lost” by firefighters, capped at $300 per day, depending on what the individual earns after tax, up to a total of $6,000 per firefighter, with proof of lost income. | The federally-funded but state-administered scheme provides for “income lost” by firefighters, capped at $300 per day, depending on what the individual earns after tax, up to a total of $6,000 per firefighter, with proof of lost income. |
| They must have volunteered as part of an operational response to bushfires or provided direct operational support between 1 July 2019 and 30 June 2020, and it doesn’t include non-emergency operations such as hazard reduction burns, or catering and brigade support. | They must have volunteered as part of an operational response to bushfires or provided direct operational support between 1 July 2019 and 30 June 2020, and it doesn’t include non-emergency operations such as hazard reduction burns, or catering and brigade support. |
| Eligible volunteers must have experienced loss of income from being self-employed, or from being an employee of a business with annual turnover of less than $50m, and who has exhausted all paid leave entitlements (not including long service leave, annual recreational leave, or sick leave). | Eligible volunteers must have experienced loss of income from being self-employed, or from being an employee of a business with annual turnover of less than $50m, and who has exhausted all paid leave entitlements (not including long service leave, annual recreational leave, or sick leave). |
| Casual employees can claim for lost income if they were volunteering on a day they were rostered to work. | Casual employees can claim for lost income if they were volunteering on a day they were rostered to work. |
| However, the eligibility requirements released this week have caused concern. Below are clarifications or responses to those concerns. | However, the eligibility requirements released this week have caused concern. Below are clarifications or responses to those concerns. |
| The payments only kick in after a volunteer has spent 10 days in total on the fireground, and only pays for the loss of income in the days which follow. | The payments only kick in after a volunteer has spent 10 days in total on the fireground, and only pays for the loss of income in the days which follow. |
| A spokesman for natural disaster response minister, David Littleproud, defended the threshold. | A spokesman for natural disaster response minister, David Littleproud, defended the threshold. |
| “The 10 days volunteering is a qualifying period for the government’s reimbursement for volunteer firefighters. This is a sensible period of volunteering before being eligible for the reimbursement.” | “The 10 days volunteering is a qualifying period for the government’s reimbursement for volunteer firefighters. This is a sensible period of volunteering before being eligible for the reimbursement.” |
| The RFSA also defended it, saying the vast majority of volunteers are happy putting their time in and they haven’t heard many complaints about people really suffering, although a few people have said they’ll be applying to the scheme. | The RFSA also defended it, saying the vast majority of volunteers are happy putting their time in and they haven’t heard many complaints about people really suffering, although a few people have said they’ll be applying to the scheme. |
| The compensation payments cover only the hours of work lost – for instance, someone who misses a 9am-5pm work day to fight a fire until 11pm will only be paid for eight hours’ work. | The compensation payments cover only the hours of work lost – for instance, someone who misses a 9am-5pm work day to fight a fire until 11pm will only be paid for eight hours’ work. |
| This is true, however Guardian Australia understands a volunteer would be covered for lost income if they were unable to go to work because they had been fighting fires all through the previous night and needed to sleep. There is some confusion around this, though. The Queensland scheme helpline wasn’t across the details so much, and the NSW government directed queries to Littleproud. | This is true, however Guardian Australia understands a volunteer would be covered for lost income if they were unable to go to work because they had been fighting fires all through the previous night and needed to sleep. There is some confusion around this, though. The Queensland scheme helpline wasn’t across the details so much, and the NSW government directed queries to Littleproud. |
| Self-employed farmers have also balked at the scheme, querying how they can prove lost income. | Self-employed farmers have also balked at the scheme, querying how they can prove lost income. |
| “The real problem is that, even in a good season, and we’re in the worst season this area has ever experienced, we don’t have a regular workday income,” Burnett Creek grazier Glenn Fearby told the Fassifern Guardian, which first reported the restrictions. | “The real problem is that, even in a good season, and we’re in the worst season this area has ever experienced, we don’t have a regular workday income,” Burnett Creek grazier Glenn Fearby told the Fassifern Guardian, which first reported the restrictions. |
| Guardian Australia understands this part of the scheme is still being worked on but that it is expected to use current provisions for quantifying the value of a particular farmer’s income value in a day, and it would take into account the season but not the drought. | Guardian Australia understands this part of the scheme is still being worked on but that it is expected to use current provisions for quantifying the value of a particular farmer’s income value in a day, and it would take into account the season but not the drought. |
| The RFS have just issued the first emergency alert for a fire in NSW today. Multiple fires have reached emergency in Victoria already. | The RFS have just issued the first emergency alert for a fire in NSW today. Multiple fires have reached emergency in Victoria already. |
| The fire is “spreading quickly northeast of Coonabarabran”. | The fire is “spreading quickly northeast of Coonabarabran”. |
| “If you are in Dandry Rd, Tandarra & Galaxy Estate, you are at risk. It is too late to leave.” | “If you are in Dandry Rd, Tandarra & Galaxy Estate, you are at risk. It is too late to leave.” |
| Conditions will worsen across NSW as the southerly comes through. The bureau have just also issued an updated wind prediction – it will come through later than previously thought. | Conditions will worsen across NSW as the southerly comes through. The bureau have just also issued an updated wind prediction – it will come through later than previously thought. |
| Temperatures in Wagga Wagga have hit 41.7C, and are at 40C in Albury, as of a few minutes ago. Fire authorities have fears today that fires in the Snowy Valley will merge soon. | Temperatures in Wagga Wagga have hit 41.7C, and are at 40C in Albury, as of a few minutes ago. Fire authorities have fears today that fires in the Snowy Valley will merge soon. |
| In Victoria, Rutherglen near the NSW border is also at 40C. The bureau of meteorology’s observation station in nearby Corryong is unavailable due to signal losses, and the station in Combienbar, which is being evacuated, is out due to power loss. | In Victoria, Rutherglen near the NSW border is also at 40C. The bureau of meteorology’s observation station in nearby Corryong is unavailable due to signal losses, and the station in Combienbar, which is being evacuated, is out due to power loss. |