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| Australia bushfires live: NSW and Victoria survey damage as fires merge to form new 'megablaze' – latest updates | Australia bushfires live: NSW and Victoria survey damage as fires merge to form new 'megablaze' – latest updates |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Firefighters and property owner among those injured as megablaze burns on both sides of the Murray River in the Snowy Mountains and upper Murray region | Firefighters and property owner among those injured as megablaze burns on both sides of the Murray River in the Snowy Mountains and upper Murray region |
| The next seven days in NSW | The next seven days in NSW |
| Earlier today NSW RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said fire crews would use milder conditions this week to try “get an upper hand on the fires”. | Earlier today NSW RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said fire crews would use milder conditions this week to try “get an upper hand on the fires”. |
| He said the forecast is for the best seven days they’ve had in terms of fire danger ratings. | He said the forecast is for the best seven days they’ve had in terms of fire danger ratings. |
| The Bureau of Meteorology has some more detail on that. | The Bureau of Meteorology has some more detail on that. |
| Temperatures across most of the state over the next couple of days will be cooler and wind gusts will not be of the kind seen on Friday when the southerly moved through. | Temperatures across most of the state over the next couple of days will be cooler and wind gusts will not be of the kind seen on Friday when the southerly moved through. |
| Senior climatologist Agata Imielska says areas including the Illawarra, Bega, the south coast and the Riverina could still experience gusts of 15-20 km/h, however, which “can still make things challenging on the fireground”. | |
| Fire danger ratings will be low-moderate to high in most areas up until Tuesday, when temperatures will become slightly warmer again and very high fire danger is expected in areas including the southern ranges, the northern slopes and the ACT. | Fire danger ratings will be low-moderate to high in most areas up until Tuesday, when temperatures will become slightly warmer again and very high fire danger is expected in areas including the southern ranges, the northern slopes and the ACT. |
| There is also some rain forecast around NSW for later this week, but the BoM says it is too soon to tell how significant that will be. | |
| “It’s a bit of good news to see we’ve got rain on the forecast but at the same time whether it will be significant enough in the context of the fires that’s something we’ll be keeping an eye on,” Imielska says. | “It’s a bit of good news to see we’ve got rain on the forecast but at the same time whether it will be significant enough in the context of the fires that’s something we’ll be keeping an eye on,” Imielska says. |
| Rachel Baxendale, a reporter from The Australian, is at her parents’ vineyard at Whitlands, which is under a watch and act warning for the Abbeyard fire. It looks beautiful there today, even if you can’t see Mount Buffalo’s horn. | Rachel Baxendale, a reporter from The Australian, is at her parents’ vineyard at Whitlands, which is under a watch and act warning for the Abbeyard fire. It looks beautiful there today, even if you can’t see Mount Buffalo’s horn. |
| Some big names have joined #AuthorsForFireys. Nick Cave has donated a signed copy of The Sick Bag Song and one of his suits, which, amazing. | Some big names have joined #AuthorsForFireys. Nick Cave has donated a signed copy of The Sick Bag Song and one of his suits, which, amazing. |
| Cave grew up around northeast Victoria, so it’s not surprising that he is helping out. | Cave grew up around northeast Victoria, so it’s not surprising that he is helping out. |
| Also American author Cheryl Strayed has donated one of five limited-edition signed, leatherbound editions of her memoir, Wild. The top bid, as of 9am, was $2,000. | Also American author Cheryl Strayed has donated one of five limited-edition signed, leatherbound editions of her memoir, Wild. The top bid, as of 9am, was $2,000. |
| Elise Hurst, the artist behind the special illustrated edition of Neil Gaiman’s Ocean at the end of the lane, is also auctioning a copy of that book signed by both her and Gaiman. | Elise Hurst, the artist behind the special illustrated edition of Neil Gaiman’s Ocean at the end of the lane, is also auctioning a copy of that book signed by both her and Gaiman. |
| This was the scene at the Snowy Mountains town of Adaminaby last night. | This was the scene at the Snowy Mountains town of Adaminaby last night. |
| Economic impact on northeast Victoria will be ‘massive’ | Economic impact on northeast Victoria will be ‘massive’ |
| Helen Haines told ABC24 that the economic impact of these bushfires on her electorate would be “massive”. Including, potentially, the loss of the entire 2020 vintage from some vineyards due to smoke taint. | Helen Haines told ABC24 that the economic impact of these bushfires on her electorate would be “massive”. Including, potentially, the loss of the entire 2020 vintage from some vineyards due to smoke taint. |
| Worth noting that every major wine region in Australia is facing the threat of smoke taint. | Worth noting that every major wine region in Australia is facing the threat of smoke taint. |
| Tourism has also been affected. In the Alpine Shire alone, Haines said, losses from tourism were estimated to reach $90m. | Tourism has also been affected. In the Alpine Shire alone, Haines said, losses from tourism were estimated to reach $90m. |
| Agriculture is also struggling, with dairy farmers in the Upper Murray — one of the few dairy regions in Australia that was not on its knees due to drought — forced to tip milk down the drain because they can’t get trucks through, or lost power to refrigerate it. Stock losses in the Upper Murray, from the Corryong fire, are estimated at 1,500 cattle. | Agriculture is also struggling, with dairy farmers in the Upper Murray — one of the few dairy regions in Australia that was not on its knees due to drought — forced to tip milk down the drain because they can’t get trucks through, or lost power to refrigerate it. Stock losses in the Upper Murray, from the Corryong fire, are estimated at 1,500 cattle. |
| Indi MP: ‘People are tired’ | Indi MP: ‘People are tired’ |
| Helen Haines is the independent MP for the federal electorate of Indi, which covers the areas burning in both the Corryong and Abbeyard fires. She spoke to ABC24 earlier, and said the fire risk remains high. | Helen Haines is the independent MP for the federal electorate of Indi, which covers the areas burning in both the Corryong and Abbeyard fires. She spoke to ABC24 earlier, and said the fire risk remains high. |
| Haines: | Haines: |
| Haines said she thinks locals are listening to the “strong warnings from our emergency services. | Haines said she thinks locals are listening to the “strong warnings from our emergency services. |
| “That doesn’t mean everyone is evacuating when told, but that people take in the information provided and make their own “risk assessment.” | “That doesn’t mean everyone is evacuating when told, but that people take in the information provided and make their own “risk assessment.” |
| The fire situation in Victoria is calmer today, after more than 50 new fires started yesterday and last night. | The fire situation in Victoria is calmer today, after more than 50 new fires started yesterday and last night. |
| There is still one emergency alert in place for the upper alpine villages around Mount Hotham — Hotham Heights, Dinner Plain, Flourbag and Davenport Village. That’s wedged in between the Abbeyard fire and other fires burning around Bundara. | There is still one emergency alert in place for the upper alpine villages around Mount Hotham — Hotham Heights, Dinner Plain, Flourbag and Davenport Village. That’s wedged in between the Abbeyard fire and other fires burning around Bundara. |
| Watch and act alerts are in place for the southern, western, and northern flanks of the Abbeyard fire, in the King Valley, Ovens Valley, and surrounds. There are also two watch and act alerts for the Corryong/Dunns Road megafire on the Victorian side of the border. The NSW side of the border is currently at an advice level. | Watch and act alerts are in place for the southern, western, and northern flanks of the Abbeyard fire, in the King Valley, Ovens Valley, and surrounds. There are also two watch and act alerts for the Corryong/Dunns Road megafire on the Victorian side of the border. The NSW side of the border is currently at an advice level. |
| All other fires in the state, including the grassfire that was elevated to emergency warning level on the outskirts of Wodonga last night, and all of the Gippsland fires, are at advice level. | All other fires in the state, including the grassfire that was elevated to emergency warning level on the outskirts of Wodonga last night, and all of the Gippsland fires, are at advice level. |
| Here’s an aerial view of the Corryong fire, via ABC journo Erin Somerville. | Here’s an aerial view of the Corryong fire, via ABC journo Erin Somerville. |
| These before and after photos, taken by Ross Evans, are apocalyptic. | These before and after photos, taken by Ross Evans, are apocalyptic. |
| The unchanged blue ocean makes things look even more jarring, because when we see these kind of images they’re often overlaid by a weird Hollywood filter. But no, these are real photos of one of Australia’s most important ecological reserves. | The unchanged blue ocean makes things look even more jarring, because when we see these kind of images they’re often overlaid by a weird Hollywood filter. But no, these are real photos of one of Australia’s most important ecological reserves. |
| The fire area on Kangaroo Island is 215,868ha, as of 4am today. That’s 49% of the island’s total landmass. | The fire area on Kangaroo Island is 215,868ha, as of 4am today. That’s 49% of the island’s total landmass. |
| About two-thirds of the island is currently under a watch and act alert, and there are specific warnings about the threat of falling trees in burned areas. | About two-thirds of the island is currently under a watch and act alert, and there are specific warnings about the threat of falling trees in burned areas. |
| What kind of action would satisfy the thousands of people who joined those climate protests, one reporter asked? | What kind of action would satisfy the thousands of people who joined those climate protests, one reporter asked? |
| Said Albanese: | Said Albanese: |
| He goes on: | He goes on: |
| Scott Morrison rejected criticism of his government’s climate change policies on Friday. You can read of what he said here. | Scott Morrison rejected criticism of his government’s climate change policies on Friday. You can read of what he said here. |
| After that, Albanese was pressed on whether he supported the climate protests that took place around the country, and indeed around the world, last night. | After that, Albanese was pressed on whether he supported the climate protests that took place around the country, and indeed around the world, last night. |
| Thousands of people marched in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and London to call for the Australian government to introduce a strong policy to mitigate the climate emergency. | Thousands of people marched in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and London to call for the Australian government to introduce a strong policy to mitigate the climate emergency. |
| Albanese says the protests were an expression of people’s frustration around the lack of action on climate change but that it was important that they did so without disrupting anyone else. This seems, to me, to be besides the point, but I’ll give you the full quote: | Albanese says the protests were an expression of people’s frustration around the lack of action on climate change but that it was important that they did so without disrupting anyone else. This seems, to me, to be besides the point, but I’ll give you the full quote: |