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LAST UPDATE | 2 Jan 2020
THOUSANDS OF TOURISTS have fled Australia’s wildfire-ravaged eastern coast ahead of worsening conditions as the military started to evacuate people trapped on the shore further south.
A seven-day state of emergency for the area has now been declared in New South Wales.
Cooler weather since Tuesday has aided firefighting and allowed people to replenish supplies.
Vehicles formed long lines at petrol stations and supermarkets, with traffic gridlocked as highways reopened.
But fire conditions were expected to deteriorate on Saturday as high temperatures and strong winds return.
“There is every potential that the conditions on Saturday will be as bad or worse than we saw [on Tuesday],” New South Wales Rural Fire Service Deputy Commissioner Rob Rogers said.
Authorities said 381 homes had been destroyed on the New South Wales southern coast this week, while 18 people have died since the fires began burning.
At least eight people have died this week in New South Wales and neighbouring Victoria, Australia’s two most-populous states, where more than 200 fires are currently burning.
New South Wales authorities have ordered tourists to leave a 155-mile zone along the picturesque south coast, which state Transport Minister Andrew Constance described as the “largest mass relocation of people out of the region that we’ve ever seen”.
In Victoria, where 68 homes have burned this week, the military was helping thousands of people who fled to the shore as a wildfire threatened their homes on Tuesday in the coastal town of Mallacoota.
Food, water, fuel and medical expertise were being delivered and about 500 people were going to be evacuated from the town by a naval ship.
“We think around 3,000 tourists and 1,000 locals are there. Not all of those will want to leave, not all can get on the vessel at one time,” Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
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Some 12.35 million acres of land – an area almost the size of Croatia – have burned nationwide over the past few months, with more than 1,300 homes destroyed.
Prime Minster Scott Morrison said the crisis was likely to last for months.
“It will continue to go on until we can get some decent rain that can deal with some of the fires that have been burning for many, many months,” Morrison told reporters today.
Smoke from the wildfires caused the air quality in the national capital, Canberra, to be the world’s worst.
New South Wales leader Gladys Berejiklian declared a seven-day state of emergency starting on Friday, which grants the New South Wales Rural Fire Service commissioner more control and power.
It is the third state of emergency for New South Wales in the past two months, after previously not being implemented since 2013.
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Is there any way you could tell us( you being journalists an all) what parts of nsw are affected.NSW is huge.its like saying there was a car crash in Ireland today.bit more detail please.
@Seriously stunned: I think it’s clear enough that it’s the eastern coast and the southern coastline of NSW. Croatia seems to be destroyed as well.
@Seriously stunned: Google maps has a good overlay View the New South Wales bushfires on Google Maps
https://maps.app.goo.gl/PfsLu3khTS9XYTYh9
@Seriously stunned: You could also try another news source if you were really that keen to find out. We have this thing called the internet now. Everything on there is 100% fact btw, just in case you were wondering.
@Seriously stunned:
Hi check out the RFS (New South Wales) website and Vic emergency websites
These sites will have full details
RFS -Regional Fire Service in NSW
CFA – Country Fire Service in Vic
@Seriously stunned: https://www.news.com.au/
is up to date. The coastal towns 200km south of Syd to Vic border are where evacuation is at present. South if batemans bay, bega and an apple town of 1500 called Batlow expected to be lost tomorrow. Sydney has fires to West and north as well burning for months. Victoria, south Australia have large fires and even Tasmania also dealing with fires.
@Chewey Bacca: There is a fire in Western Australia, which has closed the road on the Nullarbour. This fire season is unprecedented.
All would agree that solutions are needed to this crisis,especially if it may occur on a regular basis.It is a fact of life that Mining is an important element of the Australian economy. If you cut back then the realisation of reduced resources for Government programs must be accepted .Difficult times are ahead for many economies balancing climate change policy with economic realities
@Peter Cuthbert: Very true. Its not something one country on it’s own can change. All countries have to work in tandem to mitigate the effects of climate change and population growth.
Interesting times ahead indeed for humanity and all other life on this planet. Can people ask politicians what their views are on climate change in the next election? It is one of the ways ordinary people can make a difference.
Good on these citizens for putting the do-nothing PM in his place:
https://www.9news.com.au/national/scott-morrison-cobargo-tour-hastily-moves-on-as-residents-express-anger/98f2b3ff-e648-4e65-a84d-f5273d5e930e
But at least they got their fireworks display in….
PM Morrison response is to confirm Aus commitment to doubling Aus coal emissions by opening biggest coal mine in world – its a crazy world we live in.
With the strong bonds between Ireland and Australia, surprised that the Irish Government hasn’t opened a find raising initiative to help communities in fire ravaged areas . In many respects it mirrors many aspects of the disaster caused by the Great Famine .As a gesture might National Lottery consider donating some unclaimed prize money
@Peter Cuthbert: why? The National Lottery is a private business now.
Updating map of the bushfires
@Dr Megan Stewart: Must be absolutely devastating for the Communities caught up in this nightmare. Has a Worldwide fund to help being established yet.
@Peter Cuthbert: I believe they call it the U.N. but funding it by member nations is an issue.
These maps are very handy, especially for anyone visiting and planning trips
For NSW (Sydney etc)
https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/fires-near-me
For VIC (Melbourne etc)
http://emergency.vic.gov.au/respond/
For context, the biggest fires in VIC are/were some 7 hours from Melbourne. Don’t want to comment about NSW as I live in Melbourne
When it got to 41 degrees this week it was like being in a hot, dusty oven. Can only imagine what the firefighters and locals are coping with.
This is a desperate situation for all involved, made all the worse because most of the fires have been started deliberately.
It will be interesting to know how many of the arsonists are being pursued by the Australian authorities.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/arson-mischief-and-recklessness-87-per-cent-of-fires-are-man-made-20191117-p53bcl.html
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