Pollyana

Watch and Act - Mooreland Fire (Fingal Bay area, Port Stephens)

A bush fire continues to burn to the west of Fingal Bay in the Port Stephens area.


Current Situation

Firefighters are currently undertaking backburning on the Moorlands Trail, Rocky Point Road and Pacific Drive.

A southerly change is forecast for this evening. This change may push smoke and burning embers towards Shoal Bay and Nelson Bay.

Advice

Residents should continue monitoring the fire situation and take direction from firefighers on the ground.

Follow your Bush Fire Survival Plan. If you do not have a Bush Fire Survival Plan, ensure you know what you will do if the fire threatens your property.

If you plan to leave, or you are not prepared, leave early.

Well prepared, actively defended homes can offer safety during the fire.

Pollyana

Watch and Act - Tangory Mountain Fire, East of Singleton (Singleton)

The bush fire burning in the area around Mt Tangory, approximately 15 kilometres east of Singleton, has been downgraded to Watch and Act.


Current Situation

Conditions are easing on the Tangory Mountain fire ground, south of Glendon Brook and 15 kilometres east of Singleton. However, with a southerly change forecast for this evening the fire threat remains for rural properties around Cranky Corner Road North and Bimbadeen Road.

More than 50 firefighters supported by aircraft are working to contain this fire - which today has burnt approximately 150 hectares.

Pollyana

Watch and Act - Browns Road Salt Ash (Port Stephens) 13/10/13

The Browns Road scrub fire burning in the Salt Ash area at Port Stephens has been downgraded to Watch and Act.


Current Situation

A scrub fire is burning the Tilligerry State Conservation area between Salt Ash and Tanilba Bay. There are reports of 5 properties damaged or destroyed.

A forecast southerly change this evening may push this fire in a number of directions. NSW Police are doorknocking residents in the Oyster Cove area ahead of the change.

The fire threat remains for properties in the areas of Rookes Road, Lemon Tree Passage Road, Brownes Road, Oyster Cove Road and Marsh Road.

Due to road closures:

People in the area around Salt Ash, to the south-west of the fire, should move towards Williamtown.
Lemon Tree Passage Road is closed. People in Lemon Tree Passage and Tanilba Bay should not attempt to leave.
People east of Bobs Farm should go towards Anna Bay.
An Evacuation Centre has been established at the Community Hall, Nelson Bay Road, Williamtown.

If you are travelling to Salamander Bay or Nelson Bay you will see smoke from another fire near Fingal Bay. For information on the Mooreland Fire near Fingal Bay click here.

Advice

Check and follow your Bush Fire Survival Plan. If you do not have a Bush Fire Survival Plan, know what you will do if the fire threatens your property. If you plan to leave, leave early. Well prepared, actively defended homes can offer safety during the fire.

Pollyana

Watch and Act - Webbs Creek (Hawkesbury) 13/10/13

A large bush fire is currently burning in the Webbs Creek area, near Wisemans Ferry.


Current situation

More than 100 firefighters continue working on containment of the fire burning in the vicinity of Webbs Creek Road, Bicentenary Road, Chaseling Road North and Riverside Drive. The fire has burnt more than 180 hectares of bushland. Four aircraft have been assisting firefighters on the ground.

A forecast southerly change this evening may push the fire, smoke and embers to the north of Webbs Creek Road, to St Albans Road and into Lower MacDonald.

Residents may also see smoke in the vicinity of River Road and Old Northern Road at Wisemans Ferry. Smoke can also be seen from the Central Coast.

Under these conditions, fires can be difficult to control. Embers may be blown ahead of the fire, creating spot fires. These spot fires may threaten your home earlier than the predicted main fire front.

An Emergency Alert telephone message has been sent to people in the local area.

If you see a fire without a fire truck in attendance call Triple Zero (000).

Pollyana

Dozens of cars incinerated in Sydney as NSW bushfires threaten properties across state

Police say up to 100 cars have been incinerated in a Sydney car park as extreme fire conditions wreak havoc and threaten homes across the state.
The cars caught fire at the Olympic Park Aquatic Centre at Homebush as hundreds of people enjoyed an afternoon swim.
Fire and Rescue NSW Superintendent Ian Krimmer says the inferno was started by a grass fire, fanned by strong winds.

Meanwhile, there are two emergency alerts in place for bushfires at Port Stephens and another near Singleton, though conditions have eased from earlier on Sunday.
At Port Stephens there are reports five homes have been destroyed and authorities say a home may have been lost in a bushfire at Wisemans Ferry on the Hawkesbury River.

Pollyana

Follow your Bush Fire Survival Plan. If you do not have a Bush Fire Survival Plan, ensure you know what you will do if the fire threatens your property.

If you plan to leave, or you are not prepared, leave early.

Well prepared, actively defended homes can offer safety during the fire.

Other Information

If your life is at risk, call Triple Zero (000) immediately.
Continue to stay up to date with the bush fire situation by checking www.rfs.nsw.gov.au, listening to your local radio station or by calling the NSW RFS Bush Fire Information Line on 1800 679 737.
If you live in the area but are away from home, it may not be safe to return to your property.
For information on road closures, check www.livetraffic.com. Roads may be closed without warning.

http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/dsp_content.cfm?CAT_ID=1740

Geordie George

Today's weather must be a firefighter's nightmare - high temps and pretty gusty winds. I've been thinking about those up in the Blue Mountains all afternoon (particularly the BE members up there). The ash and smoke hanging over Sydney today is terrible. I can't imagine how scary it must be for those in the midst of it.

carolinephillips

I can smell the smoke from here, and the sun is shining through it, making it all a ghastly orange colour. The wind is really strong in gusts- there are large branches down in my garden, but I'm not going out to pick them up- too dangerous. Sirens everywhere.

Stay safe people.


Bits of ash now falling in my pool.

Gibbo

Here in the Hills it's like night. I feel for those people in the mountains. Over 40 houses lost I believe. Don't know how much back burning has been done, but obviously not enough. It's a while since that area has gone up. God grant that no lives are lost.

GarryP

You can see the smoke plumes on the rainfall radar :

http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDR713.loop.shtml#skip

carolinephillips

Cool- hate to think what it would be like nearer the fire, though there was smoke reported in the valley about 1km from me, but don't think it is burning, just fall out. My pool has a layer of ash all over it.

old.sparkles

Current fires / warnings in NSW - http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/dsp_content.cfm?cat_id=683

Geordie George

Seems there's an out of control (watch and act level) fire at Pennant Hills. Explains all the sirens we've heard this afternoon. We're in Thornleigh - about 5 minutes' drive down the road. There's another siren going past as I type.

old.sparkles

Stay safe there GG

GarryP

The Google Crisis map data maybe of use to people, it connects directly into the NSW Rural Fire Service.

http://google.org/crisismap/2013-nsw-bushfires