NSW towns wiped out
TWO country NSW towns have been almost entirely wiped off the map by bushfires as more than 100 buildings were razed across the state on a horror day of catastrophic conditions.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian yesterday revealed the “bad news” there was “not much left” of Balmoral, southwest of Sydney, where flames up to 40 metres high are believed to have destroyed a dozen homes in the small town of less than 300 people on Saturday.
In Dargan, north of the Blue Mountains, up to 17 homes burned to the ground — almost half the total number of houses in the town.
The out-of-control Green Wattle Creek Fire tore through Balmoral, Buxton and Bargo for the third time in week, with the massive blaze still covering more than 192,660 hectares yesterday afternoon.
Ms Berejiklian said emergency financial assistance had been extended to residents in the Wingecarribee and Wollondilly council areas who had endured the “most horrific and horrendous circumstances”.
“The devastation is shocking,” she said. “There’s not much left in Balmoral.”
Meanwhile, a man believed to be in his 60s or 70s last night remained missing from the rural village of Bell after fires again terrorised the Lithgow area on Saturday.
RFS spokeswoman Angela Burford said the number of homes lost in the Lithgow region on Saturday would likely be in the “dozens”.
There were 104 fires still burning across the state yesterday, including five at a ‘Watch and Act’ level.
Crews are expected to experience more favourable weather conditions in coming days as they work to limit the spread of some 110 fires, of which almost 60 are uncontained.
The Greater Sydney basin didn’t reach the forecast catastrophic conditions on Saturday because heavy bushfire smoke acted as insulation to reduce temperatures.
The heavy smoke — which has been causing hazardous air pollution for months — also mitigated the strengthening winds.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Scott Morrison yesterday apologised for holidaying in Hawaii while much of Australia burned.
“If you had your time over again and you had the benefit of hindsight we would have made different decisions,” Mr Morrison said of the decision to go ahead with his family holiday.
“I apologise … I accept the criticism.”
LOSSES from the Adelaide Hills bushfire have soared with 72 homes now confirmed destroyed along with more than 400 other buildings and 227 vehicles.
Premier Steven Marshall said that if there was any good news to come from the current situation it was the fact that there were no reports of further fatalities after confirmation 69-year-old Ron Selth died while trying to defend his property at Charleston.
A further three people remained in hospital with burns, one of those in a serious condition.
BUSHFIRES in Victoria’s East Gippsland have been downgraded as firefighters get a leg up on blazes thanks to milder weather conditions.