NSW bushfires: two homes lost near Bega as winds worsen conditions
Two homes have been destroyed by a bushfire near Bega in New South Wales as firefighters tackled several out-ofcontrol blazes burning across the state amid increasingly high winds.
The NSW rural fire service on Thursday confirmed the Bemboka fire had burnt down two homes and four outbuildings in the Bega Valley while 11 outbuildings were lost in the Mount Kingiman blaze.
More than 80 fires continue to burn along the Great Dividing Range from the Queensland border to Victoria with more than 30 still uncontained.
A watch and act alert has been issued for a fire in Ellangowan, in northern NSW, which has flared up due to warm temperatures and increasing winds. The fire service said there were unconfirmed reports of a home being lost in the town with inspectors expected on the ground to assess any damage.
A very high fire danger and winds up to 70km/h are expected on Thursday for the New England, Northern Slopes and Far North Coast regions – including near Grafton and Lismore.
“We can expect things to slowly pick up with 85 fires still burning across the state and winds increasing in the afternoon,” said NSW RFS inspector Ben Shepherd, adding there was no relief in sight.
It is unlikely there will be another fire ban issued on Thursday but the RFS is liaising with the Bureau of Meteorology just in case.
A total fire ban was issued for Sydney, the Illawarra and Hunter regions on Wednesday – something not seen so early in the season in nearly a decade.
Blazes on the NSW south coast at Mount Kingiman and North Nowra – which threatened homes on Wednesday – have been downgraded amid cooler and calmer conditions but hundreds of firefighters remain on scene.
“Although there’s no threat to properties, we do have fire crews working with local residents and landowners to deal with the fires as they approach,” said fire service spokesman Chris Garlick.
The NSW RFS commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, was confident the firefighters would gain the upper hand on the most troublesome blazes but winds were still going to be problematic.
“The conditions are pretty well stacked against them in terms of just how dry it is and how windy it is but it’s obviously better than it was yesterday,” he told the ABC on Thursday. “We’re shaping up for another front and increase in fire risk as we head into the weekend.”
Fitzsimmons said the drought was having an enormous impact.
“In my time I don’t recall quite as many fires and the length and breadth of the fires,” he said. “It’s shaping up to be a long fire season if we don’t get any drought-breaking rain.”