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#1
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10-17-2013, 05:06 AM
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 Benevolent dictator Poster Rank:57 Arse fucker Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 25,643 Mentioned: 17 Post(s) Quoted: 1450 Post(s)
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Bushfire Crisis Worst in a Decade
New South Wales is in the grip of its most serious bushfire crisis in over a decade – and the emergency is far from over. Dozens of homes are destroyed as out-of-control blazes rage to Sydney’s north and south – and in the Blue Mountains. Dangerous weather conditions fan the destructive flames and there are heartbreaking scenes as residents watch their properties go up. NSW firefighters are entering a critical period as a change sweeps the greater Sydney area, where several properties have been lost to bushfires. Rural Fire Service spokesman Anthony Clark told AAP there had been reports of a "couple of homes" destroyed at Springwood and Winmalee in the Blue Mountains. The fire had run downhill toward Penrith. Firefighters had their eye on the weather, as a change that followed the 34-plus degree day gusted winds up to 90km/h. "As that change comes through we're going to see fires burning on new fronts and communities to the north of these fires can expect to see a lot of fire, a lot of smoke," he said. "We have got numerous homes which have been destroyed this afternoon." "We simply don't have a number at this stage." There were seven major fires burning in NSW at 4.30pm (AEDT) Mr Clark said it was a critical time. "The key thing is with that change coming through, (these are) really dangerous conditions for the next couple of hours," he said. Police advise the fast-moving Springwood bushfire is also affecting areas around Winmalee, Yellow Rock, Mt Riverview and Emu Heights. It is understood the fire has jumped the Nepean River and is burning in Castlereagh, in the Penrith area. All roads around St Columba's Springwood are closed, but police say all students are safe and sheltering in the school hall. Students from St Thomas Aquinas Primary students have been evacuated to Winmalee Shopping Centre. With multiple fires in the area, police ask the public to postpone non-essential travel in order to keep the roads clear for firefighters. Residents in the Springwood, Yellow Rock, Winmalee, Emu Heights, Mt Riverview and Castlereagh areas should take shelter and protect themselves from the radiant heat. RFS Deputy Commissioner Rob Rogers said it had been a nightmare day. "It's probably the most serious fire risk we've faced since the early 2000s," he told ABC Radio. "... If we come out of this day without losing hundreds of homes we'll be very lucky." He said some firefighters have suffered injuries, including one with burns. There are also unconfirmed reports of properties being lost at Lithgow, at Yanderra and Balmoral in the Southern Highlands, and in Port Stephens, where a fire is burning near Newcastle Airport. Elsewhere in NSW, fires of grave concern to authorities are burning at Leppington, near Camden, west of Sydney, at Wyong on the Central Coast, at South Nowra on the south coast, and at Muswellbrook in the Hunter Valley. http://au.news.yahoo.com/nsw/a/19433...ency-warnings/ |
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#2
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10-17-2013, 05:13 AM
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| Benevolent dictator Poster Rank:57 Arse fucker Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 25,643 Mentioned: 17 Post(s) Quoted: 1450 Post(s)
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Re: Bushfire Crisis Worst in a Decade
Today has been hot, dry, and we have had strong winds all day so we're inside and the house is locked up. Heard alot of sirens earlier this afternoon, walked outside to see what was going on and the sky looked like something from a movie. I took this pic from my back yard, you can see how strong the wind is by looking at what it is doing to the palm trees. The smell of smoke was strong and we were amazed at the colour of the sky. Yeah the fires are close to my house.   · |
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#6
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10-19-2013, 01:23 AM
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| Benevolent dictator Poster Rank:57 Arse fucker Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 25,643 Mentioned: 17 Post(s) Quoted: 1450 Post(s)
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Re: Bushfire Crisis Worst in a Decade
Defence implicated in fire The Department of Defence is investigating whether an explosives training exercise started the fire, which has burned through 30,000 hectares since it broke out on Wednesday. The RFS says a number of properties have been reported as destroyed, although exact numbers are not known. Earlier today, firefighters were racing to get the upper hand on bushfires in the NSW Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Southern Highlands as calmer, cooler weather provide a window of opportunity. But the danger is far from over, Rural Fire Service Deputy Commissioner Rob Rogers says. Mr Rogers described Saturday's conditions as a "pause" but said worsening conditions lay ahead with higher temperatures and increasing winds forecast by Sunday. On Saturday 83 fires were burning across the state including 19 uncontained blazes. "We have more than 500km of fire perimeter at the moment ... we're by no means out of the woods," Mr Rogers told ABC radio. "It's just calmed down a little bit and obviously we're bracing ourselves for these worsening conditions." West of the Blue Mountains the RFS is concerned about a fire in Lithgow which is burning over 28,000 hectares and could tear through the mountains if the wind changes direction. A fire at Winmalee, where 81 houses have so far been confirmed lost and 37 damaged, is also unlikely to be contained ahead of the changing conditions. A 10,000 hectare fire in Balmoral remained active after crossing multiple roads, Mr Rogers said. In Wyong, the threat to properties has reduced after a fire at Ruttleys Road burnt more than 2500 hectares and caused the death of a 63-year-old man who suffered a heart attack defending his home."What we have is a time for the crews to anticipate the weather coming ahead and try and get as much containment as possible and prevent that fire threatening major population centres when we get worse weather," Mr Rogers said. The RFS will also provide revised numbers of homes lost, he said. |
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#10
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10-19-2013, 10:50 PM
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| Benevolent dictator Poster Rank:57 Arse fucker Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 25,643 Mentioned: 17 Post(s) Quoted: 1450 Post(s)
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Re: Bushfire Crisis Worst in a Decade
Here's a link to pictures of the sky over Sydney. http://au.news.yahoo.com/nsw/galleri...ge/19382479/#0 |
