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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 updatesExhausted 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
We have an update now from NSW RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons: Another aerial shot of the Sydney protest.
Daniel Andrews talked about the evacuation of Harrietville in that press conference. Let me tell you about another fire in Harrietville, seven years ago.
It explains a lot about the risk assessment process that is currently used by firefighters in Victoria.
On 13 February 2013, firefighters Steven Kadar, 34, and Katie Peters, 19, were travelling in a convoy heading out of the Buckland Valley.
They had been working on a backburning operation at the Pheasant Creek Track, a 4WD track in a heavily forested mountainous region north of Omeo.
It was an alpine ash forest. Tree clearing crews were in there at the same time — unusual, as that’s usually done first. Thunderstorm activity was picking up. When the call came to get out, Kadar and Peters were the first ute in line when a “giant” alpine ash did what alpine ash is wont to do in hot weather and strong winds, and fell to the ground, crushing their vehicle.
They were the third and fourth firefighters to die that season.
Peters was on her gap year and had picked up a summer firefighting gig. A lot of Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMV) firefighters — they are the ones in green overalls — are in the same position. Kadar was a career firefighter with nine years experience. He had earlier expressed concern about the risk of falling trees.
An inquest in 2015 made ten recommendations around the need to improve communication between the fireground and incident control, two-way relaying of weather information, and improved safety provisions.
If you are wondering why the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning and FFMV has appeared extremely cautious in pulling firefighters out of certain situations, this is partly why.
This inquest is built on findings from the Black Saturday royal commission. It’s also why, if you have ever done a fire briefing in Victoria, you would have heard a lot about “red flag warnings”.
A red flag warning is issued when there is “a significant change to any critical information that may adversely affect the safety of personnel located at an emergency”. It is given priority over any radio traffic except a mayday call.
This is from DELWP’s response to the coroner’s report:
A sea of umbrellas in Melbourne.
We have an update now from the NSW RFS commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons.
He says there is a new fire in the Blue Mountains near Faulconbridge. Firefighters are also concerned about a fire north of Coonabarabran.He says there is a new fire in the Blue Mountains near Faulconbridge. Firefighters are also concerned about a fire north of Coonabarabran.
Firefronts around the Eden district and Bega are not as worse as the RFS thought they would be and are quite contained at this stage, he says. Firefronts around the Eden district and Bega are not as bad as the RFS thought they would be and are quite contained at this stage, he says.
Huuuuge.Huuuuge.
A shot of the size of the crowd in Sydney.A shot of the size of the crowd in Sydney.
The latest from NSW.The latest from NSW.
We are getting some photos come through on Twitter from the various climate protests around Australia.We are getting some photos come through on Twitter from the various climate protests around Australia.
The Australian Academy of Science has issued a strongly worded statement calling on the government to do more on climate change in the wake of the bushfire crisis.The Australian Academy of Science has issued a strongly worded statement calling on the government to do more on climate change in the wake of the bushfire crisis.
The president of the academy, John Shine, suggests the response to the fires should be sweeping and transformative, including Australia taking stronger action on climate to reflect its part in the worldwide commitment made in Paris to limit global warming to as close to 1.5C as possible.The president of the academy, John Shine, suggests the response to the fires should be sweeping and transformative, including Australia taking stronger action on climate to reflect its part in the worldwide commitment made in Paris to limit global warming to as close to 1.5C as possible.
The prime minister, Scott Morrison, has downplayed the role Australia can play in addressing the climate crisis, saying nothing it did to reduce emissions would have changed this bushfire season.The prime minister, Scott Morrison, has downplayed the role Australia can play in addressing the climate crisis, saying nothing it did to reduce emissions would have changed this bushfire season.
Shine says the scale of the bushfires is unprecedented anywhere in the world, and offers the academy’s sympathy to those who have lost loved ones and been directly and indirectly affected:Shine says the scale of the bushfires is unprecedented anywhere in the world, and offers the academy’s sympathy to those who have lost loved ones and been directly and indirectly affected:
On the climate protests about to kick off in capital cities across the country, Andrews says people have the right to protest, but claims (despite Victoria Police saying otherwise) that the protest will “divert resources away from critical needs”.On the climate protests about to kick off in capital cities across the country, Andrews says people have the right to protest, but claims (despite Victoria Police saying otherwise) that the protest will “divert resources away from critical needs”.
He also took a kick at the former Liberal government on climate change policy.“Our government is very proud to have not just talked about climate change, but to have got on and taken real action to deal with it. That is very different to, perhaps, other governments, that have been in power in our state. We are very proud of that.”He also took a kick at the former Liberal government on climate change policy.“Our government is very proud to have not just talked about climate change, but to have got on and taken real action to deal with it. That is very different to, perhaps, other governments, that have been in power in our state. We are very proud of that.”
He said the states need to be part of any federal review of the bushfire season, whether or not that takes the form of a royal commission.He said the states need to be part of any federal review of the bushfire season, whether or not that takes the form of a royal commission.
Crisp reiterates: “Today is not over.”Crisp reiterates: “Today is not over.”
The next four hours will be crucial.The next four hours will be crucial.
Crisp says while people have the right to stay in their home, it does make it difficult for firefighters.Crisp says while people have the right to stay in their home, it does make it difficult for firefighters.
Andrews says it can be the difference between saving a home and saving a life.Andrews says it can be the difference between saving a home and saving a life.
Police minister Lisa Neville says in Bright and Harrietville, large containers containing satellite phones, baby formula, food, nappies and torches have been put in preparation for the possibility that those two areas could be cut off.
This is the first time a deployment of supplies has been made before fires hit those communities.
Emergency management commissioner Andrew Crisp is now providing more info. It’s a couple of hours before the change in weather, he said, and there are two or three hours after the change where there will be strong, squally winds.
It is expected that there will be up to 15mm rain in an area north of Bairnsdale and there could be the potential for flash flooding.
He reiterates that the fire in the Snowy region of NSW will join with the one in the alpine region of Victoria today.
“These next few hours will be very, very challenging”, Andrews says. The areas of most concern are around the fire around Mount Buffalo, the fire above Cann River, and the communities like Bruthen and Buchan.At the moment there is no one unaccounted for, no more people have died, and no more communities are cut off, but he says that can change quickly.
Here’s the latest update on Victoria from premier Daniel Andrews:
There are 21 going fires, more than 1.3 million hectares burnt out. We have three evacuate now notices issued, seven emergency warnings and around a dozen watch and act advice in a dozen communities.
Even with rain and forecast better conditions next week, Andrews says that there is a long way to go and it is very early on in the fire season.
A total of 286 residential properties have been damaged or destroyed in Victoria, and 400 outbuildings damaged or destroyed.
Here is how the rain is travelling in Victoria.
An emergency warning has now been issued with Bright, Eurobin, Happy Valley, Kancoona South, Ovens, Porepunkah, Rosewhite and Kancoona.
People are still advised to leave now before conditions become too dangerous.
Lots of smoke around Mount Buffalo now.
People in Victoria’s north east and East Gippland regions are being told they need to evacuate soon.
From AAP:
A cool change passing through the state will bring strong southwesterly winds of 70km/h to 100km/h to the regions about 7pm on Friday.
People in alpine towns have been warned they can evacuate until 7.50pm, but then it will be too late to leave.
“Evacuation after this time is considered life threatening”, the VicEmergency warning reads.
“Shelter indoors when the fire arrives – protect yourself from the radiant heat.”
Six emergency alerts are in place while three evacuation alerts have been issued.
Relief centres are set up in Bonegilla, Myrtleford and Wangaratta for evacuees.
Luke Heagerty from the State Control Centre says there is a “real possibility” the fires in the region will merge with those near the NSW border.
“What we’re hoping is that with the rainfall that’s coming with this change there will be at least some moisture in the air, which we know does slow the spread of fires”, he told 3AW.
“So we’re hoping that bit of rainfall could at least avoid the merging of some of those fires or the spread of other fires in Victoria.”
Despite the expected up to 10mm of rainfall, it is “highly likely” dozens of blazes will merge, and the fires are expected to go for some weeks.
The rainfall could also create slippery conditions for firefighting vehicles.
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.