NSW Bushfires Destroy Nearly 500 Homes as Crews Scramble to Build Containment Lines
Nearly 500 homes have been lost in New South Wales since the start of the bushfire season, the Rural Fire Service has confirmed.
NSW RFS Deputy Commissioner Rob Rogers said 476 homes had been destroyed in the latest count, as firefighters today set about tackling 56 fires, 27 of which were uncontained.
The update comes as NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet and Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott are set to announce a new round of funding for residents and local councils affected by the bushfires in the firehit region of Kempsey. A spokeswoman for Mr Elliott said part of the package would be more funding for BlazeAid, the volunteer organisation that helps rural families rebuild buildings and fences.
The RFS’s Building Impact Assessment teams found at least 577 outbuildings had also been destroyed.
It said more than 2600 buildings in the area directly hit by fires had been saved.
Yesterday morning, three fires were at watch and act level: the Gospers Mountain fire north-west of Sydney, and the Myall Creek and Border Trail fires in the far north of the state.
Fire crews were using the milder conditions yesterday to strengthen containment lines ahead of a return of hot, dangerous conditions tomorrow.
Deputy Commissioner Rogers said controlled burning was being undertaken around homes threatened by the Gospers Mountain blaze.
He said firefighters were scrambling to draw containment lines before weather conditions deteriorated again.
Five total fire bans are in place today including the Hunter, Far North Coast, New England, Northern Slopes and North Western regions.