Australia's NSW faces catastrophic fire conditions; body found in South Australia

[rooster59]

Australia's NSW faces catastrophic fire conditions; body found in South Australia

 

FILE PHOTO: Firefighters work at the scene of a bushfires in Bilpin, New South Wales, Australia in this still image from a social media video December 15, 2019. Andrew Mitchell/Cottage Point Rural Fire Brigade via REUTERS

 

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Temperatures above 40C (104F) and strong winds created "catastrophic" conditions on Saturday for firefighters battling more than 100 fires burning across New South Wales state, while in South Australia one person was found dead in a fire zone.

 

Some roads outside Sydney were closed and authorities asked people to delay travel, at the start of what is normally a busy Christmas holiday period, warning of the unpredictability of the fires as winds of up to 70 kph (44 mph) were set to fan the flames.

 

"Catastrophic fire conditions are as bad as it gets," NSW Rural Fire Services Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons told journalists.

 

"They are the very worst of conditions. Given we have a landscape with so much active fire burning, you have a recipe for very serious concern and a very dangerous day."

 

Greater Sydney and two surrounding areas were rated as catastrophic for Saturday, and other areas were at extreme or very-high fire danger ratings.

 

Close to 10,000 emergency personnel would be working across NSW on Saturday. The state's Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott described it as probably the largest emergency deployment ever seen in NSW.

 

"They're there, four days before Christmas, to keep families safe," Elliott told media.

 

A southerly wind change is expected late on Saturday afternoon. It is forecast to bring winds of up to 90 kph (56 mph), which Fitzsimmons said would initially worsen fire conditions before leading to a dramatic drop in temperatures.

 

The death of two firefighters on Thursday night when their fire truck was struck by a falling tree as it travelled through the front line of a fire brought the wildfires death toll in New South Wales to eight since the start of October.

 

Shortly after the two deaths were announced, Prime Minister Scott Morrison issued a statement saying he would return as soon as possible from a family holiday in Hawaii, a trip that had drawn sharp criticism as the wildfires crisis deepened.

 

SOUTH AUSTRALIA, VICTORIA FIRES

 

In South Australia, authorities said one person had been found dead, another was critically injured and 15 homes had been destroyed by a fire in the Adelaide Hills, just 40 kilometres (25 miles) east of the state capital of Adelaide.

 

The death followed another fatality in South Australia on Friday, the result of a car crash in an area where an emergency fire warning was in place.

 

Authorities said 23 firefighters suffered injuries on Friday as the parts of the state endured catastrophic fire conditions.

In the state of Victoria, 15 blazes were burning out of control on Saturday morning, with an emergency warning placed on two in the state's east.

 

Australia has been fighting wildfires across a number of states for weeks, with blazes destroying more than 700 homes and nearly 3 million acres (1.2 million hectares) of bushland.

 

(Reporting by John Mair in Sydney and Will Ziebell in Melbourne; Editing by Sandra Maler & Simon Cameron-Moore)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-12-21

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

[Inepto Cracy]

What about the wanton destruction of the waterways and fresh water sources by the government?

[Stargeezr]

I hope that Australia gets these fires under control as soon as they can.

  I have some friends that live in the north part of Sydney, and hope that their

area is okay. 40 degrees is too hot for me, although I did experience it one day

in Bangkok a few years ago. Bloody hot! Coal mining does not have any link

to the fires or the weather conditions, but of course some commenter on this

site, seems to think so. Homer, how are you. Hot enuff for you today?

Geezer

[chainarong]

And all of West Au from the Kimberly's in the North to Esperance on the south coast was on fire two days back , like the drought didn't get a mention in the press.

[metisdead]

An off topic trolling post and the subsequent replies have been removed.  

[thaibeachlovers]

I have read that the Greens have prevented the undergrowth being burnt off, which has caused the major fires of now. I understand that in the past, undergrowth was burnt off to prevent exactly this situation occurring.

I have also read that is not true.

 

Can anyone enlighten us as to the real story, please?

[bannork]

I didn't realise that so many of the firefighters were unpaid.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-50887982

[simple1]

47 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I have read that the Greens have prevented the undergrowth being burnt off, which has caused the major fires of now. I understand that in the past, undergrowth was burnt off to prevent exactly this situation occurring.

I have also read that is not true.

 

Can anyone enlighten us as to the real story, please?

State governments are not providing sufficient resources and funding for burn offs. The Greens is a side issue with minimal impact in the bigger funding / policy picture. In addition police have estimated approx 50% of fires are started by humans. Last week in NSW alone police announced 56 people had been arrested and charged in relation to starting bush fires.

[thaibeachlovers]

Just now, simple1 said:

State governments are not providing sufficient resources and funding for burn offs. The Greens is a side issue with minimal impact in the bigger funding / policy picture. In addition police have estimated approx 50% of fires are started by humans. Last week in NSW alone police announced 56 people had been arrested and charged in relation to starting bush fires.

Thanks. Are the fires people start attempted burn offs to protect their property that got out of control, or are they pyromaniacs?

[Don Mega]

2 minutes ago, simple1 said:

State governments are not providing sufficient resources and funding for burn offs. The Greens is a side issue with minimal impact in the bigger funding / policy picture. In addition police have estimated approx 50% of fires are started by humans. Last week in NSW alone police announced 56 people had been arrested and charged in relation to starting bush fires.

What are the ADF doing besides chasing off a few boat people, surely they could lend a hand.

[simple1]

Just now, thaibeachlovers said:

Thanks. Are the fires people start attempted burn offs to protect their property that got out of control, or are they pyromaniacs?

Arsonists - some of whom are members of fire fighting organisations

[simple1]

2 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

What are the ADF doing besides chasing off a few boat people, surely they could lend a hand.

An example...

 

https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/minister/lreynolds/media-releases/adf-supports-firefighting-effort-nsw-and-qld

[Odysseus123]

13 minutes ago, simple1 said:

Arsonists - some of whom are members of fire fighting organisations

I think that your statement needs to be amended a little as people indulging in a little back burning of their own certainly contributed to the blazes.

 

Nevertheless you are correct insofar as most of the fires followed the main and arterial roads on the east coast.

 

Backburning has not really been a major option for the last 2 years where I live.It is simply too dry.

[Don Mega]

22 minutes ago, simple1 said:

An example...

 

https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/minister/lreynolds/media-releases/adf-supports-firefighting-effort-nsw-and-qld

Ahh righto, so they are just manning the sausage sizzles then, Hope they are putting the onions on first !!

 

ScoMo is back from holidays so all should be ok now anyways.

Edited December 24, 2019 by Don Mega

[Jack100]

So Trump decries climate change  and the US starts burning and flooding , next up  the   Brazilian nut says the same and his Amazon starts burning merrily   , now  its Scotts  turn to face  the same blowback .

. 

 

Am I missing something here or is there some king of pattern emerging ?