BUSHFIRE EMERGENCY FLARES UP AGAIN
Police are investigating to try and find out what started the fire Bushfire was downgraded overnight, but has now reached emergency level again
Sydney: There are reports a massive bushfire has affected properties in Menai and Barden Ridge in Sydney’s south-west, New South Wales fire crews have said.
The NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) said the level of damage and the number of properties could not be confirmed.
An emergency warning was reissued today for the large blaze near the Holsworthy region, which is rapidly moving in a north-easterly direction towards Sandy Point, Pleasure Point and Voyager Point. The NSW RFS said residents in those areas should take shelter immediately because it is “too late to leave”.
More than 500 firefighters in almost 100 fire trucks, along with 15 aircraft, are battling the blaze. An emergency warning is also in place for Alfords Point and Bardon Ridge.
An ember attack is expected to impact the suburbs of Voyager Point, Pleasure Point, Sandy Point, Illawong, Menai, Bangor, and the east of Alfords Point Rd. The blaze, which has been burning since Saturday, was downgraded from emergency to watch-and-act status overnight, but it has flared up again.
The fire has already destroyed about 1000 hectares of bushland around Holsworthy and Menai. While no buildings have been destroyed, homes are under imminent threat.
One Menai resident, Erin Stevens, left her home on Saturday evening.
“They know what’s going to happen and we have full faith in the fire crews.”
NSW Police have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire and are appealing for witnesses.