Victoria bushfire and NSW inferno could form one mega blaze
Huge Victorian bushfire and NSW inferno could ‘suck each other in’ forming a firestorm in a matter of HOURS as thousands are ordered to flee for their lives NOW – but for some it’s far too late to leave
- Two major bushfires on either the Victoria and New South Wales boarder threaten to merge within hours
- Residents in Corryong are being urged to flee as strong winds could see the bushfires ‘suck each other in’
- The Navy has begun evacuating more than 4,000 locals and holidaymakers stranded in Mallacoota on Friday
- On NYE people fled to the beach to throw themselves in the water when the deadly fire front approached
- The town has been described as ‘apocalyptic’ with the sky turning red and food, water supplies dwindling
- Roads have been cut for days and could still be for weeks to come, so people have to evacuate by sea
- A second person died in Victoria on Thursday, bringing the total death toll of this fire season to 18 so far
Residents are being urged to flee as two major bushfires on either side of the Victoria and New South Wales border threaten to merge – creating a mega blaze in just a matter of hours.
Authorities fear strong north-westerly winds could push the fire in Corryong, in north-east Victoria, further north where the Dunns Road fire is burning in NSW.
And the wind change combined with the hot and dry conditions could see the bushfires ‘suck each other in’.
Those in Biggara, Tintaldra, Towong, Towong Upper, Walwa and surrounding areas are being told to evacuate immediately. For people in Batlow, west of Blowering Dam, Wondalga and west of Blowering Dam it is too late to leave as the fire threatens to hit the town on Friday afternoon.
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Jonathan How told ABC the wind change will come later on Saturday – giving the area time to heat up as temperatures soar to 43C.
Two major fires are burning either side of the NSW-Victoria border and there are fears they could soon merge
A supplied image shows smoke billowing from a fire burning at East Gippsland, Victoria on Thursday
Roads out of East Gippsland (pictured) were packed with people desperate to leave the area before Saturday as strong winds and dry conditions are predicted to cause more bushfires
This map shows how firefighters expect the bushfires on the Victorian-New South Wales boarder to spread as the weekend begins
‘With that change coming through later it could coincide with peak heating around 5pm or 6pm for the South Coast. That would mean a very dangerous fire day right up until the evening for many communities.’
Strong winds are expected to begin battering Gippsland early on Saturday afternoon before moving along the coast. They should reach Sydney by midnight.
Deb Abbott, the Deputy Emergency Management Commissioner, said they have a ‘small window’ to get people out of the danger zone before it is too late.
‘These conditions that we’re facing on top of what it is that we have in the landscape now means that the fire risk is much greater.’
People trapped in the Corryong relief centre have been escorted by authorities along the Murray Valley Highway towards Tallangatta in groups when conditions allowed as water supplies reach critical levels.
Ms Abbott has urged people to leave as the existing fires in Murray Valley, Alpine areas and East Gippsland were proving to be unpredictable.
A mass evacuation is underway further south, in Mallacoota, where more than 4,000 locals and holidaymakers have been stranded since the devastating bushfires on New Year’s Eve.
Authorities fear strong north-westerly winds could push the fire in Corryong, in north-east Victoria, further north where the Dunns Road fire is burning in NSW. And the wind change combined with the hot and dry conditions could see the bushfires ‘suck each other in’
Tourists and residents have been told to evacuate a 250km stretch of the New South Wales south coast (pictured) as devastating bushfires threaten the area, along with an area of the Shoalhaven between Burrill Lake north and Nowra
A smoke haze covered the coastal town as hundreds of people boarded boats headed for military ships as part of the evacuation on Friday
Commanding Officer HMAS Choules, Commander Scott Houlihan addresses a community meeting in Mallacoota, Victoria where the public was informed of the ADF’s evacuation plan
The first evacuees boarded the Navy ship, the MV Sycamore, from the fire ravaged coastal town at 8.40am on Friday – just 24 hours before catastrophic weather conditions are forecast to whip up more blazes.
About 100 people, including families with small children, were seen wearing masks and carrying just a few personal items as they were escorted by military personnel to the wharf early in the morning. Some even managed to save their pets, which were along for the journey too.
The voyage to Western Port in southern Victoria, which is expected to take 20 hours, comes as thousands of people spent four days in limbo after being told it was too dangerous to leave the seaside town following the bushfires on Tuesday.
In this photo provided by the Australian Defence Force, a tender from HMAS Choules motors through smoke haze off the coast of Mallacoota
HMAS Choules’ Fast Recovery Craft embarks personnel in order to drop them ashore in Mallacoota, Victoria to meet local authories in preparation to conduct an evacuation
HMAS Choules’ Fast Recovery Craft departs the ship on her way to Mallacoota, Victoria to meet local authorities in preparation to conduct an evacuation
Those fires have claimed at least two lives, taking the death toll for Australia’s catastrophic fire season to 18 -however, there are fears that will only increase as at least 28 people are still missing in East Gippsland.
Premier Daniel Andrews said there were ‘significant concerns’ for unaccounted residents scattered across small communities in the region.
‘We have grave fears for the safety and wellbeing of those 28 people who cannot be located,’ Mr Andrews told reporters on Friday.
Having said that, though, these numbers will move around. A number of people who were part of the original 17 (missing people) were located yesterday.’
A state of disaster has been declared, with residents in the northeast Walwa told to get out before it’s too late.
These powers have never been used before and allow authorities to compel people to leave.
Residents in northeastern communities including Biggara, Tintaldra, Towong, Towong Upper, Walwa, Nariel Valley, Lucyvale, Berringama,Koetong, Shelley and Burrowye are being ordered to get out.
‘If you can leave, you must leave. That’s the only safe thing for you, your family and, indeed, for others who may be called to your assistance,’ the premier told reporters on Friday.
A kangaroo rushes past a burning house in Conjola (pictured) on New Year’s Eve, as officials prepare for a ‘horrible day’ on Saturday, with blistering temperatures and high winds likely to make conditions far worse
Distressed mum stranded in Mallacoota reveals why she DIDN’T leave despite bushfire warnings – after being attacked by vicious trolls online
By Alana Mazzoni for Daily Mail Australia
A mother stranded in Mallacoota has hit back at trolls who attacked her for not fleeing.
Tamsyn Cromb, her husband Glynn, their three kids and five other families were holidaying in the Victorian tourist town when they were trapped by bushfires on New Year’s Eve.
In an impassioned Facebook post, Ms Cromb called out online trolls who blasted more than 4,000 holiday-makers and locals for not evacuating the area.
Tamsyn Cromb (right), her husband Glynn (middle) and their three kids were holidaying in Mallacoota when they were trapped by bushfires on New Year’s Eve
The mother-of-three said people were told to stay because it was the safest option.
‘Firstly, we were NOT told to leave,’ she wrote. ‘The VicEmergency app actually advised that staying was the safest option.’
‘Secondly, the people who did stay weren’t doing so to be inconsiderate to the locals or emergency services.
‘It’s actually really fricken scary being faced with the fact that you might make the wrong choice, but you’re in that situation and a choice has to be made.’
Ms Cromb said it wasn’t as simple as simply ‘packing up and leaving,’ and said the town’s fuel supply was strictly limited to emergency service vehicles.
‘We and many others only had a quarter of a tank left from the trip up here, so no hope of getting very far anyway!,’ the mother wrote.
‘It was a 40 degree day, the highway towards home was at threat of being impacted by several other major fires and being closed at any time.’
The mother-of-three said she is fed up with reading online comments trolling tourists for not leaving
Ms Cromb and other families were unable to leave as the highway into NSW was open to traffic but major bushfires were bearing it down.
She also said hotels and motels were all booked out due to it being peak holiday season.
‘We attended the community meeting here in Mallacoota and were told that IF we were planning to leave, it had to be right after the meeting and up the coast was the only option,’ she wrote.
‘Several people did make the choice to leave. But as a group of 5 families we decided that staying here by the water was safer than travelling in the opposite direction to home in extreme heat and fire danger, with the threat of existing fires and potential new ones starting, and being trapped on a busy road with nowhere to go!’
Ms Cromb told Daily Mail Australia that people who judge from their living rooms have no idea how the bushfires unfolded.
‘No one could have predicted the new fire at Wingan River and no person would purposely put their children through something so scary if they didn’t feel it was the safest option in an awful situation,’ she said.
‘We cannot guarantee your safety.’
More than 780,000 hectares have been razed by about 50 fires burning in the state’s east and northeast.
The state is bracing for the worst as weather conditions are expected to create more blazes in the region with temperatures expected to reach a scorching 46C.
Authorities are desperate to evacuate as many people as possible from danger areas before horror conditions escalate again on Saturday.
Hundreds of fires are still burning out of control across the country, destroying millions of hectares, killing 18 and leaving 1,200 homes destroyed, with catastrophic 46C weather forecast for Saturday (pictured)
Roads were packed with fleeing holidaymakers trying to escape. Hundreds spent Thursday night sleeping on the road after Princes Highway, on the NSW south coast, was closed overnight.
Some had camping chairs, while others laid out bedding as they awaited their freedom.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has asked for people to be patient as the evacuation process gets underway.
‘I know you can have kids in the car and there is anxiety and there is stress and the traffic is not moving quickly but the best thing to do — the best thing that helps those out there volunteering, out there trying to restore some order to these situations — is for everyone to be patient.’
BUSHFIRE CRISIS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
NSW
WHERE ARE THE NSW BUSHFIRES?
More than 110 blazes continue to burn across NSW on Thursday afternoon, with more than 50 burning out of control.
There were three fires burning at a ‘watch and act’ level as of 6pm.
These were the 260,000-hectare Currowan fire on the south coast, the 130,000ha Dunns Road fire in the Snowy Valleys and the 105,000ha Green Valley fire east of Albury.
HOW MANY HAVE DIED?
Seven people have perished since Monday evening, taking the NSW bushfire death toll since July to 15. That includes three firefighters.
A 72-year-old man remains missing at Belowra, west of Narooma, but an 81-year-old woman who was missing in Conjola Park has been located safe and well.
HOW MANY HOMES HAVE BEEN LOST?
At least 382 homes have been destroyed on the south coast since New Year’s Eve. The number will increase as damage assessment teams access hard-to-reach areas.
Some 1298 homes, 85 facilities and 2218 outbuildings such as sheds have been confirmed destroyed across NSW since July.
THE WARNINGS
No total fire bans are in place on Thursday but a statewide total fire ban has been declared for Friday and Saturday.
People near Batlow have been asked to leave by Thursday night while holiday-makers in the alps and between Nowra and the Victorian border should be out by Friday night.
Across the border, Victorian authorities want tourists and locals to leave the state’s alpine and East Gippsland regions by Thursday.
THE FORECAST
Fire weather eased on Thursday, allowing firefighters to prepare for deteriorating conditions over the weekend.
Dangerous fire conditions are expected to return to southeast NSW on Saturday, where the temperature is forecast to reach 45C inland and 44C on the coast.
A gusty southerly is expected to cross the area in the afternoon.
Fire danger will be severe to extreme with the RFS saying conditions on Saturday will likely be worse than those experienced on New Year’s Eve.
THE ROADS
Motorists should avoid travel to the south coast and Snowy Mountains-Riverina areas, where fires have caused widespread power outages and major road closures.
The Princes Highway north of Batemans Bay has been reopened, with a reduced speed limit of 60 km/h.
Sections of the Princes Highway south of Batemans Bay remain closed.
The Snowy Mountains Highway is open between Bega and Adaminaby, providing a route back to Sydney and Canberra for motorists on the far south coast.
The Adaminaby to Tumut section of the highway is open for residents only while several other major alpine roads are exit-only or completely closed.
Victoria
WHAT’S HAPPENING?
Two confirmed deaths including – Buchan resident Mick Roberts
There are 28 people who remain missing in Gippsland
Ten watch and act warnings in place across the state, the second highest warning level
About 50 fires are still burning in the state
A ‘very active’ fire at Ensay in the Swift’s Creek Valley with more blazes around Hotham and Omeo
More than 1,000 firefighters are working across the state
There are between 3,000 to 4,000 people stranded in Mallacoota and they are being asked to register for navy evacuation. The plan is for 800 to be taken out by sea from 7am Friday, with more trips to follow
Helicopters will be used for evacuations as well, when possible because of smoke
Some firefighter shift changes are happening via helicopter
24 satellite phones either dropped into isolated communities or delivered later on Thursday
The CFA is burning out areas around Clifton Creek
Relief packages including water are arriving to remote communities
THE FALLOUT SO FAR?
Confirmed property losses are 24 at Buchan, 19 at Sarsfield, 10 at Mallacoota and 15 at Cudgewa, but more losses are expected to be confirmed
Structures lost include the Clifton Creek Primary School, which the state government has vowed to rebuild. Temporary facilities will be in place for the start of term one
More than 766,000 hectares of land has been burnt out in East Gippsland
About 24 remote communities have lost power and phone coverage
A boil water notice for Mallacoota has been lifted, but people are asked to restrict to essential use
WHAT’S NEXT?
With the worsening conditions forecast in East Gippsland and Alpine areas from Friday night into Saturday, residents are being ask to think about leaving now if they can
It could take days or even weeks to entirely evacuate Mallacoota because of the logistical challenges
Moderate conditions on Thursday are helping firefighters, with temperatures in the low to mid 20s and fairly light winds
Mercury is forecast to creep up in the region on Friday, before reaching the 40s on Saturday, when the heat, hot winds and possible thunderstorms will increase the risk of new fires
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