Australian leader curtails holiday as firefighters killed in huge blazes

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Australian leader curtails holiday as firefighters killed in huge blazes

By Colin Packham

 

Police block the Old Hume Highway as a blaze jumps the road near the town of Tahmoor as the Green Wattle Creek Fire threatens a number of communities in the south west of Sydney, Australia, December 19, 2019. AAP Image/Dean Lewins/via REUTERS

 

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison issued a rare public apology as he cut short a Hawaiian vacation on Friday after two volunteer firefighters were killed battling blazes that are ravaging much of the country's east coast.

 

Australia has been fighting wildfires in the east for weeks, with blazes destroying more than 700 homes and nearly 3 million acres (1.2 million hectares) of bushland.

 

The death of the two firefighters overnight when their fire truck was struck by a falling tree as it traveled through the front line of a fire brought the death toll since the start of October to eight.

 

"This is an absolutely devastating event in what has already been an incredibly difficult day and fire season," the New South Wales (NSW) state Rural Fire Service said in a statement.

 

Shortly after the pair's deaths were announced, Morrison issued a statement saying he would return as soon as possible from a family holiday in Hawaii, a trip that has drawn sharp criticism in recent days as the wildfires crisis deepened.

 

Morrison's conservative Liberal-National coalition government has been under sustained pressure to defend its climate change policies as it has downplayed links to the unprecedented early arrival and severity of this year's bushfire season.

 

"I deeply regret any offense caused to any of the many Australians affected by the terrible bushfires by my taking leave with family at this time," Morrison said in the statement.

 

Morrison later told 2GB radio that the trip had been planned as a surprise to his young daughters to replace leave originally scheduled for January that he had canceled because of official trips to Japan and India.

 

Hundreds of protesters had gathered outside his Sydney residence on Thursday. One protestor, wearing an Hawaiian shirt, carried a sign reading, "ScoMo, where the bloody hell are you?" referencing the leader's nickname and a well-known international advertisement for Tourism Australia.

 

Australia is one of the world’s largest carbon emitters per capita because of its reliance on coal-fired power plants. It has pledged to cut carbon emissions by 26% from 2005 levels by 2030, but critics accuse Morrison of paying lip service to that commitment.

 

In June, the government approved the construction of a new coal mine in Queensland state by India's Adani Enterprises that is expected to produce 8 million to 10 million tonnes of thermal coal a year.

 

As Morrison was apologizing on radio on Friday morning, opposition Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese was serving breakfast to firefighters near the front line of a fire in rural Bilpin.

 

The RFS named the dead volunteer firefighters as Andrew O'Dwyer, 36, and Geoffrey Keaton, 32 - both fathers to 19-month- old children. Three other firefighters were injured in the truck crash.

 

Earlier on Thursday, two male firefighters were airlifted to hospital with burns to their faces, arms and legs, while a female colleague was taken by ambulance to hospital after they were engulfed by flames.

 

CHRISTMAS TRAVEL WARNING

The fires have resulted in days of heavy pollution in Sydney, pushing air quality to unprecedented hazardous levels and resulting in viral images of heavy smoke haze over the usually sparkling harbor and landmarks like the Opera House.

 

The fires are being spurred this week, by record temperatures across the country which led New South Wales, the most populous state with 7 million people, to declare a seven-day state of emergency.

 

Thursday's declaration gave firefighters broad powers to control government resources, force evacuations, close roads and shut down utilities.

 

Temperatures eased on Friday but were expected to return to near-record highs on Saturday, which firefighters fear will stoke some of the around 100 fires burning across the state.

 

Days out from Christmas, a time when many Australians head to the coast for the holidays, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian urged people to reconsider travel plans.

 

"What is most important for us is that everyone is safe and if that means changing your plans for Christmas, we ask you do to that," Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney.

 

(GRAPHIC: Forests in flames: Images from space show Australia's bushfires in different light - https://graphics.reuters.com/AUSTRALIA-BUSHFIRES-SATELLITEIMAGES/0100B4R62H1/index.html)

 

(Reporting by Colin Packham and Wayne Cole; editing by Jane Wardell)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-12-20

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[steven100]

very tragic event unfolded while attending the fire ....  RIP  always remembered.

[steven100]

Temperatures in the +40's Celsius are expected with windy conditions to continue. 

[FarFlungFalang]

Yes ScuMo please explain!The only thing this climate change denier regrets is having to cut his holiday short while the country burns.The flight response is strong with this one!

Edited December 20, 2019 by FarFlungFalang

[FarFlungFalang]

19 minutes ago, steven100 said:

Temperatures in the +40's Celsius are expected with windy conditions to continue. 

Heard they are expecting 48-49 in parts of SA.Thats bloody hot!

[soalbundy]

5 hours ago, FarFlungFalang said:

Heard they are expecting 48-49 in parts of SA.Thats bloody hot!

Not just hot, 50C is deadly, the body can't cool itself and the body core temperature just continues to rise until death.

[steven100]

6 hours ago, FarFlungFalang said:

Heard they are expecting 48-49 in parts of SA.Thats bloody hot!

Bureau of Meteorology in Victoria reported a maximum temp of 47.9°C at Horsham and Hopetoun today, making it the hottest December day on record for the state.

This exceeds the previous record of 46.6°C at Robinvale on 31 December back in 1976.

[steven100]

It must be like living in hell right now for the poor folks in SA.

[RJRS1301]

6 hours ago, FarFlungFalang said:

Yes ScuMo please explain!The only thing this climate change denier regrets is having to cut his holiday short while the country burns.The flight response is strong with this one!

He took his fiddle with him

 

[ballpoint]

Just now, RJRS1301 said:

He took his fiddle with him

 

But he's more Zero than Nero.

[RJRS1301]

Old cloth ears "where the bloody hell are you Morrison"??

Yes his family and he deserve a holiday, but they had one in May.

He has spent over a million dollars in OS travel since elected

The PM is expected to lead, yes firefighting is a state affair, but the Federal Government should show leadership, something which the "miracle" PM is unable to do.

Parliamentary sitting days since his election has been one of the shortest in recent times.

The volunteer and professional firefighters and no supplemented by Canadians have been fighting fires in SA, NSW, QLd since late July. 

Over 700 home destroyed, at least 6 civilian lives, and hundreds of men and women injured.

Now these brave men have died, while no show ScoMo holidays away. 

Yes he would have been in touch daily via electronic media, but he took on the job of leader, something which he failed to in in a crisis which has been occurring for nearly 6 months.

Volunteer services are overstretched, lacking equipment since budgetary cutbacks.

I suggest all politicians federal and state donate one months salary to the volunteer services, this would not cost the taxpayer a cent (except for tax deduction for charity), it would allow the services to buy equipment needed, and possibly some small compensation for those who have lost weeks of wages, saving others homes and lives.

 

 

Edited December 20, 2019 by RJRS1301

[White Christmas13]

43 minutes ago, steven100 said:

It must be like living in hell right now for the poor folks in SA.

try living in Marble bar WA

 

WA's hottest recorded temperature was 50.5 degrees at Mardie in February, 1998, while the national record was set in 1960 by South Australia's Oodnadatta when it reached 50.7 degrees. Marble Bar's maximum so far of 49 degrees was reached at 3.12pm but it is just another day for locals

[FarFlungFalang]

1 hour ago, steven100 said:

It must be like living in hell right now for the poor folks in SA.

Or like living or working in the Pilbara.

[Dumbastheycome]

Crazy  situation now. Atmospheric temps  plus  fire heat makes trees  explode into flames  ahead of the ground fires. Bloody lethal for  firefighters  as well as a bit of a hopeless  cause as it  stands ( or burns).

Morrison could  have packed his  family off for a holiday  but  why did  he  even think  to  go?

 

[FarFlungFalang]

21 minutes ago, White Christmas13 said:

try living in Marble bar WA

 

WA's hottest recorded temperature was 50.5 degrees at Mardie in February, 1998, while the national record was set in 1960 by South Australia's Oodnadatta when it reached 50.7 degrees. Marble Bar's maximum so far of 49 degrees was reached at 3.12pm but it is just another day for locals

Don't they also have the record of have 100 days and nights where the temp didn't drop below 30 degrees?I Worked around that area for 11 years and know it well.

[FarFlungFalang]

2 minutes ago, Dumbastheycome said:

Crazy  situation now. Atmospheric temps  plus  fire heat makes trees  explode into flames  ahead of the ground fires. Bloody lethal for  firefighters  as well as a bit of a hopeless  cause as it  stands ( or burns).

Morrison could  have packed his  family off for a holiday  but  why did  he  even think  to  go?

 

Maybe he's "asdumbastheycome".Sorry couldn't resist.

[RJRS1301]

2 minutes ago, Dumbastheycome said:

Crazy  situation now. Atmospheric temps  plus  fire heat makes trees  explode into flames  ahead of the ground fires. Bloody lethal for  firefighters  as well as a bit of a hopeless  cause as it  stands ( or burns).

Morrison could  have packed his  family off for a holiday  but  why did  he  even think  to  go?

 

For former advertising man, he fails to recognise the expectations of the populace to whom he owes his income.

He has rapidly become the southern shire "born to rule" happy clapping hypocrite

[White Christmas13]

5 minutes ago, FarFlungFalang said:

Or like living or working in the Pilbara.

I lived and worked in the Pibarra for many years,temperatures up to 47 degrees not uncommon 

 

[Dumbastheycome]

1 minute ago, FarFlungFalang said:

Maybe he's "asdumbastheycome".Sorry couldn't resist.

lol.  No worries .

[FarFlungFalang]

14 minutes ago, White Christmas13 said:

I lived and worked in the Pibarra for many years,temperatures up to 47 degrees not uncommon 

 

Yeah never got to knock off when it got over 36 degrees like they do in Perth.Being a survey chainman pegging the rail formations and roads for the mining boom I got to walk all day in it and some would say my job was easy which always made me laugh.Beautiful country though but the spinifex was pretty sharp and the death adders where there as well.  

[White Christmas13]

1 minute ago, FarFlungFalang said:

Yeah never got to knock off when it got over 36 degrees like they do in Perth.Being a survey chainman pegging the rail formations and roads for the mining boom I got to walk all day in it and some would say my job was easy which always made me laugh.Beautiful country though but the spinifex was pretty sharp and the death adders where there as well.  

I worked on the railway for john holland between port hedland and tom price 12 hours a day

seven days a week.

[FarFlungFalang]

17 minutes ago, White Christmas13 said:

I worked on the railway for john holland between port hedland and tom price 12 hours a day

seven days a week.

I worked on the BHP rail and the FMG and Gina's rail at Roy Hill and spent 3 years at Cape Lambert on the Rio expansion project and remember staying at Tom Price a couple of times but can't remember what job we did there apart from drinking shed loads. 

[RJRS1301]

These temperatures in areas have been high across Australia for the preceding  3months causing unprecedented bushfires on top of drought. NSW has over 90 fires burning in areas which have never burned before including sub tropical rainforests and many rivers have no water flows. 
Sydney smoke pollution has been compared to BKK and Delhi for weeks now.