Christmas Down Under up in flames
Australians urged to cancel travel plans as more than 100 wildfires leave trail of death and destruction
RAGING wildfires threatened Christmas plans for thousands of Australians after strict emergency travel bans were introduced following a string of deaths.
As of last night, “catastrophic” fire warnings are in place across New South Wales, where more than 3,000 firefighters have been mobilised to deal with more than 100 fires, the majority of which were uncontained and seven of which had emergency warnings.
Authorities urged people who were planning to travel for Christmas to cancel their plans as conditions threatened to worsen in coming days.
Gladys Berejiklian, the premier of New South Wales, said: “We are asking everybody not to travel on roads anywhere near the vicinity of an active fire unless you absolutely have to.”
In some cases, the fires have triggered violent thunderstorm clouds known as pyrocumulonimbus. The weather formations can produce gusty winds, that further fan existing fires, and even hail blackened with soot. Embers can be shot out of the storms up to 20 miles from the main fire.
Carly Hardy, whose parents live in Bowral – about 90 minutes south of Sydney – told The Sunday Telegraph they had kept guard with a garden hose to put out spot fires from falling ash.
“These fires are creating storms which can send ash flying out, still hot, about 30km… Hot enough to start spot fires on contact,” she said.
“Local radio is issuing warnings everywhere. There’s no usual content, just emergency bulletins and updates. Everyone has all their radios turned to it.”
Ms Hardy said that the area usually got plenty of rain. “For everything to be this dry is mind boggling,” she said.
Australia’s fire crisis claimed two more victims overnight, bringing the death toll to 10, and shut down major roads in at least two states, with whole communities cut off in some cases.
Several major roads and highways have been closed in New South Wales, as well as in South Australia.
More than five million acres of land have been burnt through and 800 homes destroyed in New South Wales.
At Lithgow, two hours’ drive west of Sydney, residents had to flee the town as fires destroyed several homes on the outskirts. One person was reported missing in the nearby Dargen area.
In South Australia, one person died in a car crash in a fire-affected area. Another person died and one was seriously injured in the Adelaide Hills.
Twenty-three firefighters were injured in South Australia, one seriously, and three trucks were destroyed. Five homes, 28 buildings and 16 vehicles were swept aside by the more than 100 blazes ravaging the state.
More than 40,000 hectares burnt through in what Steven shall, the premier of South Australia, said could be “the tip of the iceberg”.
There has been a chorus of condemnation of what is perceived to be a lack of preparedness on the part of authorities, especially the federal government.
A group called the Firefighter Cancer Coalition is petitioning Ms Berejiklian to provide better breathing masks to firefighters. Almost 80,000 people have supported the call for “the most practical and effective protection for our firefighters”.
‘These fires are creating storms that can send hot ash flying out about 30km’