Three fires merge into one mega blaze as dangerous fires burn in Australia

SYDNEY, Feb 1, 2020, 9News. Three fires burning dangerously on the NSW south coast have joined together, as a fire which crossed from the ACT into the state also burns at emergency level tonight. Another fire over the Victorian border in the already devastated East Gippsland region is also threatening rural areas this evening, 9News reported.

Fire bosses warned there is “every likelihood homes could be lost tonight”, as temperatures remain high and fires become so intense they created their own thunderstorms.

So far only outbuildings have been confirmed destroyed.

ACT and NSW

Saturday’s bushfire conditions in the ACT have been compared to those in 2003, when four people died and hundreds of homes were razed in Canberra.

At one point today, five fires in NSW and neighbouring ACT were at emergency level, with people in the NSW village of Bredbo describing how the fire approached their doorstep.

Skies turned to a dark orange in the middle of the afternoon, and many chose to try and defend their homes if they needed to.

Peter Lawlis from Bredbo said his ute was “old, broken down” but had a pump with a hose on the back.
Robyn Wilkinson said she was worried about losing power.

“If we lose power, we will lose the ability to draw water to actually defend the village.”

The village, as well as the nearby communities of Colinton and Michelago remain at risk, with residents told tonight it’s too late to leave.

EMBERS SPREAD FIRE

The Orroral fire as it’s called, earlier jumped the ACT border into NSW with embers travelling multiple kilometres.

It has crossed the Monaro Highway in multiple places, the RFS said.

The fire has burned 35,800 hectares – around 15 per cent of the ACT.

The new blaze over the border in NSW is called the Clear Valley Fire.

Earlier, Commissioner of the ACT Emergency Services Agency, Georgeina Whelan, warned it was only 2km from the community of Tharwa and 7km from Banks and said flames were as high as two metres.

NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian said it was “another difficult day” for the state.

More than 2000 firefighters and 70 aircraft have been tackling the blazes today.

A cool change late tonight will finally ease the strong northwesterly winds which have intensified blazes.

EVACUATED

Some residents in Canberra’s southern suburbs decided to head to evacuation centres as fires burned close by.

Barbara Biela, said she’d been “packed for days.”

Earlier, ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr reminded Canberrans, especially in the southern Tuggeranong area, to remain vigilant.

Mr Barr said the state of emergency in the territory is expected to remain until at least Monday.

BEGA VALLEY EMERGENCY

The trio of fires which have combined are in the NSW Bega Valley and the threat stretches from Candello to the east of Bombala.

Earlier Mr Fitzsimmons said they were “burning very intensely.”

“A number of these fires, especially the complex down in south-eastern corner and the Clear Range fire, they have issued safety alerts across the fire grounds,” he said.

“They are generating fire generated thunderstorms, pyroconvective columns, which are obviously dangerous and create increased hazards and volatility around the fire ground.

“We have already detected lightning activity at one fire complex in the south-east.

The area is west of the coastal town of Merimbula.

Firefighters are working to contain a number of spot fires burning north-west of Bredbo that originated from the Orroral Valley blaze.

Winds will continue to hamper fires tomorrow, while temperatures will ease.

RFS boss Mr Fitzsimmons said it will be another “difficult day”.

Another dangerous fire is burning just north of the NSW-Victoria border, south of Eden.

VICTORIA

Over the border in Victoria a fire has flared to emergency level in the East Gippsland community of Bonang tonight.

It’s out of control, burning 2 km west of Bonang.

An earlier fire flared on the south coast of the state, at Cape Coran.

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