AI
Monday, October 21, 2013 12:48:11 AM
Fears grow NSW Blue Mountains bushfires will merge and form a 'mega-fire'
AAP October 21, 2013 3:17PM .. 25 min. ago ..
.. VIDEO .. Every resource thrown at fire fight 4:24
NSW Emergency Services Minister Mike Gallacher says every resource is being thrown at the bushfire fight.
FIREFIGHTERS are using "high-risk" back-burning strategies against Blue Mountains bushfires, despite the chance they could hasten the formation of a "mega-fire".
More than 200 homes have already been lost in the fires that have raged west of Sydney since Thursday, and 59 fires were still burning today.
The great fear is that at least three major fires in the Blue Mountains will merge and head toward's Sydney's western suburbs amid worsening conditions on Wednesday.
Fires in NSW's Southern Highlands also remain a concern, with an emergency warning issued this afternoon for the bushfire near Wollondilly, and warnings of embers being blown towards the village of Wilton.
And as firefighters continued to try to save homes, the Insurance Council of Australia said the insurance bill so far was about $94 million, with 855 claims made.
Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons says firefighters are taking “considered” but risky moves to strengthen containment lines around the biggest Blue Mountains fire - the huge State Mine blaze near Lithgow.
Firefighters have successfully conducted back-burning along more than 20 kilometres of Bells Line of Road.
But authorities conceded the move risked accelerating the feared joining-up of the State Mine fire with a blaze at Mount Victoria, which authorities say is likely to happen in coming days.
Mr Fitzsimmons said this morning the plan was “paying off” so far.
“If it comes off, and works, it's a wonderful firefighting effort,” he told reporters.
“But there is every likelihood investing in a strategy like that that it will breach, that it will fail - and then you've got a fire that will cross over everything you've just tried to implement.”
The main focus remains on the huge State Mine fire, which has a massive 300km fire-front and which is heading towards another blaze near Mount Victoria, which has a 60km fire-front.
The major fire around Springwood and Winmalee, which destroyed so many homes last Thursday and which has burnt out 2,700 hectares, also remains a threat to several communities.
Authorities fear there's a “very, very serious risk” of fires amalgamating.
NSW Emergency Service Minister Mike Gallacher says northwesterly winds forecast for this week could push the large Lithgow fire into others in the Blue Mountains and towards more populated areas like Katoomba and Leura, and western Sydney.
Mr Fitzsimmons conceded a merging of major blazes is a real possibility.
“I don't think I've ever use the word mega-fire,” he said. “But the reality is that the modelling indicates that there's every likelihood that in the forecast weather conditions that these...fires, particularly up in the back end of the mountains, will merge at some point.”
Residents in the Blue Mountains township of Bell were today again urged to evacuate ahead of temperatures in the mid-30s, low humidity and problematic winds around 25km/h.
“This is still a very volatile, very long, uncontained fire edge that is going to be quite susceptible to weather,” Mr Fitzsimmons told reporters.
Of great concern are the forecast high temperatures and strong winds forecast for Wednesday.
Mr Gallacher says the conditions are forecast to be similar to those seen last Thursday, when the emergency began.
But Mr Fitzsimmons also moved to allay fears of mass evacuations across the Blue Mountains after warning yesterday that populated areas like Katoomba and Leura could be affected.
“We are not planning an exodus of the Blue Mountains but what I would say is, if you don't need to be in the Blue Mountains, don't go there,” he said.
A state of emergency declared yesterday gives authorities the power to force evacuations and even destroy buildings that pose a danger, but those powers haven't yet been used.
Premier Barry O'Farrell said no one wanted to force people to abandon their homes, but it could be necessary to ensure everyone's safety.
“We know there is understandable heartache about leaving property perhaps vulnerable. But if it's a choice between property or lives we should always go for lives,” he told the Nine Network.
Mr Gallacher will meet with Federal Justice Minister Michael Keenan today ahead of the military possibly joining the firefighting effort.
“This is really high level,” Mr Gallacher told ABC radio.
“We'll have access to tankers that can assist in terms of aviation fuel, whatever firefighting equipment that they have as well.
“It is a question of sitting down with every one of the authorities that potentially has a resource that we can get access to.”
AAP
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/in-depth/bushfires/fears-grow-nsw-blue-mountains-bushfires-will-merge-and-form-a-mega-fire/story-fngw0i02-1226743664238
.. some 200 homes gone .. 1 dead .. major Blue Mountains fires ..
distance from Sydney center .. http://www.bluemts.com.au/getting-here/
NSW Rural Fire Service .. http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/ .. all the firefighters risking their lives are volunteers ..
AAP October 21, 2013 3:17PM .. 25 min. ago ..
.. VIDEO .. Every resource thrown at fire fight 4:24
NSW Emergency Services Minister Mike Gallacher says every resource is being thrown at the bushfire fight.
FIREFIGHTERS are using "high-risk" back-burning strategies against Blue Mountains bushfires, despite the chance they could hasten the formation of a "mega-fire".
More than 200 homes have already been lost in the fires that have raged west of Sydney since Thursday, and 59 fires were still burning today.
The great fear is that at least three major fires in the Blue Mountains will merge and head toward's Sydney's western suburbs amid worsening conditions on Wednesday.
Fires in NSW's Southern Highlands also remain a concern, with an emergency warning issued this afternoon for the bushfire near Wollondilly, and warnings of embers being blown towards the village of Wilton.
And as firefighters continued to try to save homes, the Insurance Council of Australia said the insurance bill so far was about $94 million, with 855 claims made.
Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons says firefighters are taking “considered” but risky moves to strengthen containment lines around the biggest Blue Mountains fire - the huge State Mine blaze near Lithgow.
Firefighters have successfully conducted back-burning along more than 20 kilometres of Bells Line of Road.
But authorities conceded the move risked accelerating the feared joining-up of the State Mine fire with a blaze at Mount Victoria, which authorities say is likely to happen in coming days.
Mr Fitzsimmons said this morning the plan was “paying off” so far.
“If it comes off, and works, it's a wonderful firefighting effort,” he told reporters.
“But there is every likelihood investing in a strategy like that that it will breach, that it will fail - and then you've got a fire that will cross over everything you've just tried to implement.”
The main focus remains on the huge State Mine fire, which has a massive 300km fire-front and which is heading towards another blaze near Mount Victoria, which has a 60km fire-front.
The major fire around Springwood and Winmalee, which destroyed so many homes last Thursday and which has burnt out 2,700 hectares, also remains a threat to several communities.
Authorities fear there's a “very, very serious risk” of fires amalgamating.
NSW Emergency Service Minister Mike Gallacher says northwesterly winds forecast for this week could push the large Lithgow fire into others in the Blue Mountains and towards more populated areas like Katoomba and Leura, and western Sydney.
Mr Fitzsimmons conceded a merging of major blazes is a real possibility.
“I don't think I've ever use the word mega-fire,” he said. “But the reality is that the modelling indicates that there's every likelihood that in the forecast weather conditions that these...fires, particularly up in the back end of the mountains, will merge at some point.”
Residents in the Blue Mountains township of Bell were today again urged to evacuate ahead of temperatures in the mid-30s, low humidity and problematic winds around 25km/h.
“This is still a very volatile, very long, uncontained fire edge that is going to be quite susceptible to weather,” Mr Fitzsimmons told reporters.
Of great concern are the forecast high temperatures and strong winds forecast for Wednesday.
Mr Gallacher says the conditions are forecast to be similar to those seen last Thursday, when the emergency began.
But Mr Fitzsimmons also moved to allay fears of mass evacuations across the Blue Mountains after warning yesterday that populated areas like Katoomba and Leura could be affected.
“We are not planning an exodus of the Blue Mountains but what I would say is, if you don't need to be in the Blue Mountains, don't go there,” he said.
A state of emergency declared yesterday gives authorities the power to force evacuations and even destroy buildings that pose a danger, but those powers haven't yet been used.
Premier Barry O'Farrell said no one wanted to force people to abandon their homes, but it could be necessary to ensure everyone's safety.
“We know there is understandable heartache about leaving property perhaps vulnerable. But if it's a choice between property or lives we should always go for lives,” he told the Nine Network.
Mr Gallacher will meet with Federal Justice Minister Michael Keenan today ahead of the military possibly joining the firefighting effort.
“This is really high level,” Mr Gallacher told ABC radio.
“We'll have access to tankers that can assist in terms of aviation fuel, whatever firefighting equipment that they have as well.
“It is a question of sitting down with every one of the authorities that potentially has a resource that we can get access to.”
AAP
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/in-depth/bushfires/fears-grow-nsw-blue-mountains-bushfires-will-merge-and-form-a-mega-fire/story-fngw0i02-1226743664238
.. some 200 homes gone .. 1 dead .. major Blue Mountains fires ..
distance from Sydney center .. http://www.bluemts.com.au/getting-here/
NSW Rural Fire Service .. http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/ .. all the firefighters risking their lives are volunteers ..
It was Plato who said, “He, O men, is the wisest, who like Socrates, knows that his wisdom is in truth worth nothing”
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