Bush and Forest Fires in Australia

24 January 2003

Latest satellite images: Bushfires Raging in Southeast Australia

Bushfires in southeast Australia are still burning out of control, threatening farmland, livestock, and homes in Victoria and New South Wales, Australia. More than 500 homes have been destroyed, and several towns have fires within one or two kilometers of the city limits. Erratic winds push the fires, some of which have been burning for weeks, one way and then another, frustrating and exhausting the hundreds of firefighters battling the blazes. This Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image of the fires (red dots) was acquired 22 January  2003, around 11:30 a.m. local time.

Source: NASA/ EO

 

 

Smoke billows out over the Pacific Ocean from raging bushfires in southeast Australia. This image of the fires (red dots) was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite on  21 January  2003, around 3:00 p.m. local time

Source: NASA/ EO

 

 

Smoke (tan haze) is visible from fires burning in parts of  New South Wales and in parts of Victoria, Australia, in this image from 22 January 2003. The smoke, indicated by the yellow arrows, is visible extending far out across the Tasman Sea.

Source: OSEI/ NOAA

 

 

Heat signatures (red), burn scars (charcoal), and smoke (light blue haze) are visible from fires burning in parts of in New South Wales and in parts of Victoria, Australia, in these Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) images  from 21  January 2003, captured by the Aqua satellite. Also visible in these images is smoke (indikated by the yellow arrows) being transported over the Tasman Sea.

Source: OSEI/ NOAA


 

This false-color map of the world  shows an aerosol index produced from data collected by the Total ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) on 19  January 2003.The large cluster of fires in Australia in southern New South Wales is easily identified by the large area of red. The aerosol plume clearly affects a larger area than it seems to in true-color imagery. This is because the TOMS aerosol index uses observations collected in the ultraviolet (UV) part of the spectrum. Aerosols that appear transparent in true-color imagery can be revealed by UV analysis. The principle is similar to certain "invisible" magic markers that produce writing that can only be seen under special UV ("black") lights. 

Source: Total ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS)


Fire Weather Forecast for the Pacific Region

click here to enlarge (21 KB)

Fire Weather Index for the 
Pacific Region for tomorrow.
(Source: ECPC Fire Weather Index Forecast)

 

 

Overview Australia:

Bushfires which threatened the Australian capital Canberra eased on Wednesday, but there were warnings that with more hot, dry weather predicted for the weekend, the threat has not yet passed. 

Attention switched to the southern state of Victoria, where several towns in the north-east were threatened by two new fires, and to the island of Tasmania. In Victoria, fire-fighters were trying to set up control lines around small towns in the alpine region. 

States in Australia’s south and east are readying for a weekend of soaring temperatures and high fire risk today.

South Australia's Premier, Mike Rann has called a special meeting of his Emergency Management Council today, for a briefing on the fire risk and lessons that can be learned from the eastern states.

Temperatures in the 40s are forecast for the state this weekend, with conditions compared to 1983, the year of the Ash Wednesday fires.

The same hot temperatures and dry winds are forecast for Tasmania, where emergency services in the Midlands have already had a taste of the fires.

Samantha Donovan reports the worst of Tasmania's blazes is in the farming area of Broadmarsh north- west of Hobart.

Fires have burnt out 5,500 hectares since the weekend. One house and some outbuildings have been destroyed and there are unconfirmed reports of livestock losses.

The blaze has also been threatening lucrative poppy crops.

Fires in Tasmania’s north-east have been contained. But the fire on Flinders Island, which has burnt 17,500 hectares over the last two weeks, continues to burn.

Source: ABC news

 

A.C.T.

23 January 2003- Total Fire Ban For The Act Extended Another 6 Days

Due to the continuing weather forecast of strong winds and very high fire dangers in the ACT and the extent of bushfire commitment the Chief Fire Control Officer has extended for a further 6 days the current Total Fire Ban for the ACT, under the provisions of the Bushfire Act 1936.

The Total Fire Ban will apply for an additional 6 days commencing at 0000 hours (Midnight tonight 21/1/03) and continue to be in force for the whole of:

WEDNESDAY 22 JANUARY 2003 until MONDAY 27 JANUARY 2003

A further notice will be issued if it is necessary to further extend or cancel the Ban.

As a result of the total fire ban continuation the only fire allowed in the open air throughout the Territory during this time are those listed below as being a prescribed class of fire under the Bushfire Act Regulations.

There are no exemptions for private, public or display fireworks during the Total Fire Ban period.

Exempt fires are:

Follow-up media contact: Emergency Services Bureau 6207 8564; or 6207 8458

Source: canberraconnect

Canberra
ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope says an independent inquiry will be held into last Saturday's fires.
Mr Stanhope is still focused on restoring people's lives and tackling any new fire threat to Canberra.
But he has indicated he will not wait for the results of lengthy coronial inquests before starting a separate inquiry.
"Because of the need for it to be objective, to be seen to be objective, and to be truly objective, I will ensure it's an inquiry that's facilitated by someone who's at arms length from the ACT Government or the Emergency Services Bureau," he said.
He says the details are still to be discussed but the inquiry will look at every aspect of the Emergency Services Bureau's response.
Meanwhile, unfavourable weather has postponed backburning around Canberra's northern suburbs.
ACT chief fire control officer Peter Lucas-Smith says his crews hope to establish a 100-metre buffer ahead of weekend weather similiar to last Saturday's conditions.
"I think we're certainly talking about fires that would have the potential to have the same kind of run on them, but whether they're fires with the same kind of intensity, it's highly unlikely," Mr Lucas-Smith said.
Fires to the north-west and south of Canberra are within containment lines.

Source: ABC news





NEW SOUTH WALES:

Four day Statewide Total Fire Ban from midnight Thursday 23 January to midnight Monday 27 January

Extreme fire danger weather conditions predicted for the Australia Day long weekend has caused the Commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service to declare a special four day, Statewide Total Fire Ban. The special declaration is unprecedented in NSW history and will run from midnight tonight, Thursday 23 January to midnight Monday 27 January.
Conditions are expected to begin to deteriorate tomorrow but will peak on Sunday with 43 degree temperatures and strong northwesterly winds.
There is currently over 100km of active fire in NSW’s southeast, which will be particularly vulnerable to such extreme weather.
Communities are expected to come under threat and fire authorities are currently preparing resources for what will be a very challenging weekend.
During a Total Fire Ban no fire of any kind may be lit in the open. This includes incinerators and barbecues which burn solid fuel, e.g. wood or charcoal. You may use a gas or electric barbecue, but only if……
· It is on residential property within 20m of the house or dwelling;
· It is under the direct control of a responsible adult;
· The ground around the barbecue is cleared for 3m of all material which could burn;
· You have a continuous supply of running water.
A map identifying the boundaries of weather districts can be found on the Bureau of Meteorology web site at http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/nsw/dist_map.shtml.  Members of the public can phone 1 800 654 443 or their local NSW Rural Fire Service Fire Control Centre for more information.
THIS TOTAL FIRE BAN INFORMATION SHOULD BE CARRIED AS PART OF ALL WEATHER FORECAST BROADCASTS IN THE LEAD UP TO AND DURING THE TOTAL FIRE BAN PERIOD.
The Rural Fires Act 1997 - Section 99 (2) states: "As soon as practicable after making a direction under this section, the Minister is … (a) to cause notice of the direction to be broadcast by a television or radio station transmitting to the part or parts of the State concerned and in a newspaper circulating in those parts"

FOR MEDIA ONLY: For more information or interviews regarding fire danger & fire safety:
Duty Media Officer 02 9898 1855.

Kosciuszko National Park Fire Facts Summary 

Thursday, 23 January 2003, 1000 hours

Overview
Overnight conditions varied between the north and the south of the park, with windy conditions causing some difficulties on the western side of the North Kosciuszko Fires.
A new fire has broken out near Circuit Hut south of Tantangara. Authorities are also concerned about a spot over south of Tom Groggin, which has grown considerably in the past 24 hours.
The main focus in the north today will be mopping up Talbingo and the Blue Water Holes Fire Trail.
Weather in the south however was cool allowing backburning and containment operations to continue until early morning.
While one house has been lost in the Snowy Plains area the immediate threat appears to have eased around Providence Portal, Anglers Reach and Old Adaminaby.
Mild conditions are again expected today. This will allow fire fighters to continue implementing containment strategies in preparation for severe fire weather expected over the weekend.

Fire status

South Kosciuszko fires
There are fires burning on the western side of the Main Range. These fires have travelled from Victoria and joined with a fire complex in the Youngal/Hannels area. The area of most concern is the fire currently in Victoria’s Bogong area and preparatory work is being undertaken between the lower Thredbo River and Ingebyra.

Thredbo and Perisher fires
Backburning continued overnight until around 2am when temperatures became too cool for backburning. Fire fighters took advantage of the benign conditions to continue tidying containment lines and mopping up. Asset protection works between Perisher, Smiggins, Wilsons Valley and Waste Point has continued. Backburning in some areas and a dozer line from Rennix Gap to the Thredbo River will be attempted today to halt an easterly advance of fire. Aircraft are working to hold the fire up higher in the Valley. At Thredbo the overall focus of activity is protecting the village against fires coming from the west and southwest. The fire is now 2 km from the village. A backburn is to be completed today to consolidate fire advance to the west and northwest of Thredbo on the western edge of the Funnel Web ski run. 

Tom Groggin area
Fire authorities are concerned about another fire in the Tom Groggin area, which began from a spot fire two days ago and has grown considerably in the Alpine ash country south of the Alpine Way. Planners are now working on strategies to tackle this fire.

Khancoban
The western side of the south Kosciuszko fires remain secure. This area is generally quiet with fire fighters patrolling and mopping up the fire edge.

Eucumbene area
The immediate threat has eased at Providence Portal, Anglers Reach and Old Adaminaby while the backburn along the western shores of Lake Eucumbene has continued. Backburning around Eucumbene Cove has been completed and is being patrolled. Overnight another backburn from Cooks Racecourse down to the Gungarlin River has also been completed. The spot over on Gang Gang Mountain has been contained with a backburn from the Snowy Mountains Highway to Gavells Hut and back to Tantangara Road. There is another spot fire near Circuit Hut south of Tantangara Reservoir and this will be a focus of containment activity today. North Kosciuszko Fires (formerly Tabletop and Yarrangobilly fires). A backburn went in around Talbingo last night and has been completed successfully. Today there will a taskforce to patrol and mop up. The immediate threat for Talbingo has now eased. The western edge of this fire is now secure and is being patrolled. However, spot fires were experienced overnight under the influence of easterly winds in the southwestern flank on the Upper Murray Power Line Road. These spotfires are being contained by air attack this morning. The Broken Cart fire continues to move south towards the Blue Waterholes Fire Trail. A taskforce will patrol between Oldfields and Long Plain road in an attempt to hold that fire. The Oldfields and Mt Morgan fires south of Lone Pine fire trail continue to burn however containment lines have been established between the Murrumbidgee Fire Trail and the top of Lone Pine. From Long Plain road to Wyora the western edge is now secure and is being patrolled.

ACT/Namadgi fires
Fire continues to burn northwest of Michelago, northwest of Bredbo and north of Shannon’s Flat and Yaouk in Namadgi National Park. Firebreaks have been established along the ACT Border and across the southern section of Namadgi National Park and the Scabby Range Nature Reserve in the past three days. Backburning was carried out from part of these breaks, utilising the southerly wind change, on Tuesday night. To provide added protection to residents in the area the 15km Clear Range backburn has been extended overnight. Fire fighters put in a 10km backburn from the bottom end of the Clear Range southwest to Boboyan Road in the Mt Clear- Horse Gully Hut area. Yesterday’s weather eased the situation slightly, however spot overs is still a concern. It is hoped that most fires can be contained by backburning and mopping up of spot fires in this area. In preparation for the possibility of fire from the north, property protection work has been carried out in the top of the Yaouk Valley.

Weather
The weather is forecast to be dry, with a maximum of 29 degrees. Winds are forecast to be light SE/NE wind in the Michelago area this morning, which may swing NE in the afternoon. In the Kosciuszko area, light NW winds are expected in the morning, which will swing SW on the west side of the Park and SE on the east side of the Park during the day. Winds will eventually swing E/NE throughout the Park later in the day or evening. Overnight winds will be light NE/NW.

Further outlook:
Friday: Dry with temperatures to mid 30s at low elevations with light NW winds to start with. Moderate N/NE winds will develop on the eastside during the afternoon and may extend across to the westside in the evening.

Saturday: Dry with temperatures in the high 30s. Winds will be light NW at first, possibly becoming moderate in the afternoon and being replaced by moderate NE in the afternoon. These NE winds may not extend to the western side of the Park at all.

Sunday: Dry, very hot with temperatures in the low 40s and at least high 20s in the alpine areas. Moderate to fresh NW winds ahead of a S/SW change are likely in the afternoon. Wind speeds around 25/35km per hour can be expected.


Residents to remain fire aware
Despite milder weather conditions residents should remain aware that fires continue to burn and are expected to flare once the weather deteriorates towards the weekend.

Residents are advised to “remain aware” especially in the:
· Talbingo area
· Adaminaby, Shannons Flat and Yaouk Valley
· Lake Eucumbene and Rocky Plains
· Williamsdale, Michelago to Bredbo, Colinton, Murrumbucca
· surrounding Jindabyne, Wollondibby, Ingebyra
· as well as residents along the Alpine Way

The immediate threat in the Providence Portal, Anglers Reach and Old Adaminaby areas has eased.

Kosciuszko National Park Road closures - Phone 1800 004 439 for the latest info
The Snowy Mountains Highway is closed from Adaminaby to Talbingo
The Kosciuszko Road is closed at the park entrance
The Guthega Road is now closed until further notice
The Alpine Way is closed at the intersection with Kosciuszko Road to Khancoban.
The Kiandra-Khancoban Road is now closed until further notice due to fire activity
The Elliott Way is closed until further notice from Cabramurra to the Tooma turnoff
The Monaro Highway is open. This situation may change dependant upon fire activity
The Talbingo Reservoir is closed until further notice due to fire activity.
The Tumbarumba to Khancoban Road is open.
The Barry Way is open as a throughway only. Campgrounds along the Barry Way are closed.


Commitment
Almost 1300 personnel are now involved in the fire fighting operation, including personnel from the National Parks & Wildlife Service, Rural Fire Service, State Forests NSW, NSW Fire Brigades, Queensland Fire Brigades, Snowy Hydro, Transgrid, Country Energy, Roads and Traffic Authority, Police, Ambulance, State Emergency Service, Department of Community Services, NSW Health, NSW Tourism, Country Fire Authority (Victoria), Bureau of Meteorology, Local councils and Rural Lands Protection Board.
There are ten fixed wing and 25 helicopters involved.

Livestock management
The Rural Lands Protection Board can provide advice on livestock arrangements. If livestock is at risk, owners can consider relocation or keeping animals in one defendable area, away from fire hazards such as long grass and bush.
For details contact Doug Alcock from the Department of Agriculture on 0411 139594.

Community Assistance
People affected by the fire situation can access Centrelink services at the Disaster Recovery Centre at the Memorial Hall in Jindabyne from 8am to 4pm daily until 12 noon on Friday 25 January 2003. Services available include advice, immediate assistance and registration for people who have become unemployed.

Fire bans
A ‘park fire ban’ is in force for all national parks and nature reserves across southern NSW until further notice.

Kosciuszko National Park is closed
Entry to the park is not permitted; this includes the resort areas.
The fire threat is still high in all areas of the park.

For further information contact:
Kosciuszko National Park Fire Hotline 1800 004 439
ACT Fire Information 132281
NSW Police Information 1800 227228
Tumut Information Line (02) 6947 6217/6947 6334
Rural Fire Service local brigades for advice on safety precautions.

Websites
www.npws.nsw.gov.au

www.rfs.nsw.gov.au

Bureau of meteorology website with educational material about bushfires which may be useful for the media for background material: www.bom.gov.au/inside/services_policy/fireag/bushfire/bushfire.htm


Listen to Radio 2XL, Snowy Mountains FM and ABC Bega


For more information (Please note this is for MEDIA INQUIRIES ONLY):
Media contact only: Stuart Cohen 0418 820 504

Source: NSW Rural Fire Service 

 


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VICTORIA:

Total Fire Ban for Victoria, 23 January 2003
Today Thu, 23 Jan 2003 is not a Day of Total Fire Ban.Today 

 Total Fire Ban for Victoria, 24 January 2003
  Tomorrow Fri, 24 Jan 2003 has been declared a Day of Total Fire Ban in the North Western, North Eastern, South Western and Central Total Fire Ban district(s) of Victoria.
No fires may be lit or be allowed to remain alight in the open air from Fri, 24 Jan 2003 12:00 AM until Sat, 25 Jan 2003 12:00 AM.

Victoria  Fires Update 23 January 2003

Vic fire crews prepare for weekend battle
Thursday, January  23, 2003. Posted: 11:17:39 (AEDT)

In Victoria's north-east, fire crews are working frantically to try to contain blazes ahead of predicted soaring temperatures at the weekend.
Efforts are centred on the townships of Mitta Mitta, Dartmouth and Beechworth, which came under direct threat overnight.
Firefighters say while the situation has stabilised, residents should remain on high alert across the north-east.
At Bright, army reservists are helping to build further containment lines to the south of the township, after the Mount Buffalo bushfire flared up overnight.
Incident controller at Ovens, Paul Marnie, says firefighters are keeping a watchful eye on the weather.
"Obviously it depends on conditions later today," he said.
"Wind will be critical to us, but we're hopeful we can consolidate that line, we've got a good depth in the backburn to date."

Source: ABC news

 

Towns on alert as weather set to worsen
Posted: Thu, 23 Jan 2003 18:57 AEDT

Milder weather conditions in Victoria's fire ravaged north-east are expected to take a turn for the worse.
Communities surrounding the towns of Bright, Dartmouth, Mitta Mitta and Beechworth are on alert as fires burn out of control in the Alpine Country.
Further south, residents in the Omeo district are preparing in case a large fire turns back towards them.
Four homes have been burnt down and several sheds and outbuildings destroyed since the fires began.
Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment spokesman Kevin Monk says crews today focused on improving property protection ahead of tomorrow's northerly wind change and predicted weekend temperatures of 40 degrees.
"We continue to do some work in the south area where we can around these fires," Mr Monk said.
"They're very large and they're in some difficult country and we're doing what we can, but these fires are large and the weather's against us."

Source: ABC news

 

General Fires Update 23rd Jan 1.30pm
Update on the Pinnabar and Bogong areas 23/01/2003

Pinnabar Fire at 0950hrs
Control lines in the Pinnabar area held well overnight causing very good conditions for backburning. More backburning will occur today in the Benambra area.
A number of spot fires which began overnight are all under control.

Bogong West Area at 1025hrs
Conditions were very smoky overnight due to an increase in fire activity.
The following local communities were placed on alert and asked to put their bushfire plans into place
- Dartmouth
- Mitta Mitta
- Basin Rd
- Bucheen Creek
- Bull Head Creek
- Cravensville
- Henlon
- Eskade
- Wyeedebo
- Tallantoon
- Little Snowy Creek

Conditions are more settled today, with winds slowing to approximately 25km per hour.

Bogong East Area at1100hrs
Fires have extended a little further west, however mostly stayed within control lines overnight.

Benambra area: Going and is now north of the pig farm
Protection of private property is our main priority.

Omeo area: Going
Dozers continue with freehold property particularly in the Shannonvale, Glenvalley areas and properties to the north

Hotham area: CFA continues with asset protection

What to do: All residents threatened by fire are advised to activate their bushfire plans and remain alert of conditions around them.
Those choosing to leave home should leave early. It is unsafe to be on the roads as the fire approaches.

A number of emergency centres have been established and details of these are as follows:

Rural City of Wodonga's Municipal Emergency Relief Centres
- Wodonga Leisure Centre, Hedge Road (02 6059 1522)
- Wodonga Civic Centre, Hovell Street (02 6055 9300)

Beechworth Municipal Emergency Relief Centre, Beechworth Memorial Hall
Yackandandah Municipal Emergency Relief Centre, Yackandandah Hall, High Street (Next to Indigo Shire Offices)
There are also information hotlines for people in the Towong Shire (02) 6071 5100 and the Alpine Shire 5755 0524
Those choosing to stay and defend their property are advised of the following:
Remain alert - embers may be falling on or near your property and should be extinguished immediately.
Protect yourself from radiant heat by wearing natural fibres and long sleeved shirts, long pants, sturdy boots, and a broad brimmed hat. Do not wear synthetic clothing.
Fill sinks, baths and buckets with water to ensure water supplies are available - water pressure in the area may drop due to high demand. After the fire front passes, remain vigilant - embers may continue to fall for several hours.


General Fires Update 23 Jan 11:30hrs
Updates on the fires in Lysterfield, Scarsdale and Craigieburn 23/01/2003

The Lysterfield fire has been contained and firefighting crews are remaining on scene to patrol the area.
The Scarsdale fire (located between the townships of Snake Valley and Linton) is now contained and is also being patrolled. At its largest, the fire was 63 hectares and destroyed a number of small outbuildings.
The Craigieburn fire is now contained and patrolling continued through last night. Two fires occurred yesterday with the largest of the two burning approximately 20 hectares. The smaller fire burnt throught approximately 2.5 hectares.
Residents should expect that embers from these fires may continue for several hours, and should continue to patrol their homes and check roof spaces, under-floor spaces, and areas where leaves commonly gather to ensure that nothing is burning.

It is vital that people at home look after their own health by regularly drinking water to avoid becoming dehydrated and suffering heat exhausted.

For further general information the following resources are suggested:
Victoria Police Information hotline (road closures) 1800 444 343
Parks Victoria Hotline 13 19 63

Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) website

DSE Community Updates - available for Upper Murray, Ovens and Kiewa Valley, Gippsland and Bogong fires. Detailed reports, produced daily.

NSW Rural Fire Service website

And Stay Tuned to your local radio station.

Incident Updates

UPDATE ON BOGONG COMPLEX FIRES 1700 HRS
Residents in the high country town of Omeo and surrounding districts have spent today preparing their fire plans, attending community meetings and cleaning up around their homes and properties as they wait to see how the fire situation develops.
A mild, calm day has kept the situation quiet today, but Incident Controller Ben Rankin said that fire activity in the Shannonvale and Bundara Valley areas and on Mount Hotham is causing the most concern at the moment.
'The fires are not burning too fiercely today because of the milder conditions, but there is still a threat to property and we're doing all we can to protect those at risk,' Mr Rankin said.
Asset protection continues to be the main focus and is progressing well. Backburning east and west of Hotham resort is underway, 15kms of dozer works have been completed on the Twins Road, south east of Hotham and dozers are now returning to work on the Alpine Road. A mineral earth break 50 metres wide has been established around the town of Benambra.
CFA fire crews are patrolling affected areas, monitoring asset protection, checking water points and availability and working with DSE/DPI crews on mineral breaks, clearing and backburning.
Community meetings at Benambra, Swifts Creek and Dargo today, presented by DSE/DPI and CFA staff have kept residents up to date with the fire situation in their areas, giving them the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback to the agencies involved in the fire suppression effort.
The Bowens Track fire south of Tubbut has now burned through 1350 ha within proposed control lines, but has spotted over to burn 310 ha of private property. Dozer lines around these spotovers are nearly complete and an aircraft is supporting the blacking out works with Phoscheck bombing.

BACKBURNS IN PROGRESS TO PROTECT MITTA MITTA & DARTMOUTH
The Bogong fire has been active around Dartmouth overnight. Excellent work by fire crews ensured that the fire in the area was held within containment lines, despite strong winds and very low relative humidity.
Following a backburn last night, at Dartmouth, crews have been working on containing the fire south of the Mitta Mitta river. A small spot fire north of the river was contained this morning.
The fire is now 3 kilometres south of Mitta Mitta near Doctors Creek. A backburn off Disappointment Track is currently being prepared to link into an adjacent fuel reduction burn carried out last year to provide further protection to the Mitta Mitta township.
Granite Flat properties continue to be protected without damage to date. Monitoring will continue today and into the foreseeable future.
It is important for the communities of Dartmouth, Mitta Mitta, Basin Road, Bucheen Creek, Bull Head Creek, Cravensville, Henlow, Eskdale, Wyeeboo, Tallandoon and Little Snowy Creek continue to implement their fire safety plans.
Residents need to be aware that the CFA cannot guarantee a fire truck and crew to protect individual homes.
What to do: All residents threatened by fire are advised to activate their bushfire plans and remain alert of conditions around them.
Those choosing to leave home should leave early. It is unsafe to be on the roads as the fire approaches.
A number of emergency centres have been established and details of these are as follows:
Rural City of Wodonga's Municipal Emergency Relief Centres
- Wodonga Leisure Centre, Hedge Road (02 6059 1522)
- Wodonga Civic Centre, Hovell Street (02 6055 9300)
Beechworth Municipal Emergency Relief Centre, Beechworth Memorial Hall
Yackandandah Municipal Emergency Relief Centre, Yackandandah Hall, High Street (Next to Indigo Shire Offices)
There are also information hotlines for people in the Towong Shire (02) 6071 5100 and the Alpine Shire 5755 0524
Those choosing to stay and defend their property are advised of the following:
Remain alert - embers may be falling on or near your property and should be extinguished immediately.
Protect yourself from radiant heat by wearing natural fibres and long sleeved shirts, long pants, sturdy boots, and a broad brimmed hat. Do not wear synthetic clothing.
Fill sinks, baths and buckets with water to ensure water supplies are available - water pressure in the area may drop due to high demand.
After the fire front passes, remain vigilant - embers may continue to fall for several hours.


 Beechworth Fires Update 23 Jan 11:00hrs

Considerable fire activity has occurred South of Beechworth overnight. Known as the Stanley fire, considerable spotting around midnight caused increased fire activity in Dingle Road; Mad Man's Gully Road; Lower Stanley Road; Silver Creek and around the Beechworth Gun Club.
Residents were encouraged to put their safety plans in action and keep informed through local radio of the situation. Sixty residents registered at the emergency centre in Beechworth for the night. The majority were elderly.
Emergency crews in Yackandandah and Eldorado concentrated on reinforcing control lines and blacking out areas within the perimeter of the fire, but it is still burning. Residents are urged to be aware of fallen trees across local roads.
One firefighter was taken to hospital for observation suffering from heat exhaustion and fatigue. She is to be released early today.
The weather for today is only expected to reach the low thirties with a north easterly wind.
The current number of combined fire fighters working on the line is 400.
What to do: All residents threatened by fire are advised to activate their bushfire plans and remain alert of conditions around them.

Those choosing to leave home should leave early. It is unsafe to be on the roads as the fire approaches.

A number of emergency centres have been established and details of these are as follows:

Rural City of Wodonga's Municipal Emergency Relief Centres
- Wodonga Leisure Centre, Hedge Road (02 6059 1522)
- Wodonga Civic Centre, Hovell Street (02 6055 9300)

Beechworth Municipal Emergency Relief Centre, Beechworth Memorial Hall

Yackandandah Municipal Emergency Relief Centre, Yackandandah Hall, High Street (Next to Indigo Shire Offices)

There are also information hotlines for people in the Towong Shire (02) 6071 5100 and the Alpine Shire 5755 9524

Those choosing to stay and defend their property are advised of the following:

Remain alert - embers may be falling on or near your property and should be extinguished immediately.

Protect yourself from radiant heat by wearing natural fibres and long sleeved shirts, long pants, sturdy boots, and a broad brimmed hat. Do not wear synthetic clothing.

Fill sinks, baths and buckets with water to ensure water supplies are available - water pressure in the area may drop due to high demand.

After the fire front passes, remain vigilant - embers may continue to fall for several hours.


Alpine and East Gippsland Fires 23rd Jan 11am
Alpine and East Gippsland Fires  CURRENT SUMMARY
Two fires near Beechworth that started on Tuesday afternoon have burnt a combined area of nearly 9,000 hectares. For details of these fires please call CFA media on (03) 9262 8228.
The Mt Buffalo fire again threatened Bright and nearby townships late yesterday. It remains however around 3 km to the west of the town and has not entered pine plantations between the fire and the town. Backburning was not possible last night until after midnight due to strong winds.
At the Mt Hotham Alpine Village last night the Bogong fire spotted over the Great Alpine Road and commenced burning on the Summit Ski Run. Specialist CFA structural fire crews were on alert but the spot over was contained early this morning.
At the small township of Mitta Mitta the Bogong fire deposited embers and smoke late yesterday. The fire has remained around 4 km south of the town (and the river).
Overnight considerable asset protection work was undertaken in conjunction with local residents at Harrietville, Mt Beauty and Falls Creek.
The current North-East fires have now burnt around 260,000 hectares of parks and forests.

CURRENT GOING FIRES
 The 'Pinnabar' complex of fires (south of Corryong). In total these fires have now burnt nearly 60,000 hectares of Victorian park and forest. This fire which straddles the NSW border is contiguous with a large fire in the southern sector of the Kosciuszko National Park. Fire behaviour overnight was erratic, with spotovers hampering firefighting efforts.

The Bogong Complex of fires (Mt Feathertop, Bogong and Razorback). These have now burnt in excess of 140,000 hectares. Extremely low humidity and increasing wind speeds late yesterday created intense and erratic fire behaviour. A community alert was issued yesterday afternoon for Dartmouth, Mitta Mitta and towns to the north. Yesterday afternoon the fire was only 500m east of Harrietville and crews were deployed to protect the township. A spotover near Benambra was successfully extinguished yesterday.

The fire in the Mt Buffalo National Park has now burnt in excess of 22,000 hectares. Containment lines were strengthened yesterday and overnight. Backburning operations to the south of Bright occurred after midnight.

In Gippsland a fire near Mt Tubbut, 15km south of the NSW border, has burnt in excess of 1,500 hectares, and water-bombing aircraft worked yesterday to contain several spotovers.

WEATHER IN THE NORTH-EAST

Today: Warm to hot with smoke haze. (Wind variable to 10kph)
Friday: Fine, hot to very hot.
Weekend: Hot with northerly winds, ahead of an approaching cold front.

RESOURCES ON THE ALPINE FIRES

Around 1400 personnel from the Government agencies, around 1,400 CFA personnel from outside the Region (supporting local volunteer brigades), 25 aircraft, over 200 specialised vehicles and 83 bulldozers.

WHAT TO DO
All residents threatened by fire are advised to activate their bushfire plans and remain alert of conditions around them.
Those choosing to leave home should leave early. It is unsafe to be on the roads as the fire approaches.
A number of emergency centres have been established and details of these are as follows:
Rural City of Wodonga's Municipal Emergency Relief Centres
- Wodonga Leisure Centre, Hedge Road (02 6059 1522)
- Wodonga Civic Centre, Hovell Street (02 6055 9300)
Beechworth Municipal Emergency Relief Centre, Beechworth Memorial Hall
Yackandandah Municipal Emergency Relief Centre, Yackandandah Hall, High Street (Next to Indigo Shire Offices)
There are also information hotlines for people in the Towong Shire (02) 6071 5100 and the Alpine Shire 03 5755 0524
Those choosing to stay and defend their property are advised of the following:
Remain alert - embers may be falling on or near your property and should be extinguished immediately.
Protect yourself from radiant heat by wearing natural fibres and long sleeved shirts, long pants, sturdy boots, and a broad brimmed hat. Do not wear synthetic clothing.
Fill sinks, baths and buckets with water to ensure water supplies are available - water pressure in the area may drop due to high demand.
After the fire front passes, remain vigilant - embers may continue to fall for several hours.
For further general information the following resources are suggested:
Victoria Police Information hotline (road closures) 1800 444 343

Parks Victoria Hotline 13 19 63

Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) website

DSE Community Updates - available for Upper Murray, Ovens and Kiewa Valley, Gippsland and Bogong fires. Detailed reports, produced daily.

NSW Rural Fire Service website

And Stay Tuned to your local radio station. Listen to ABC radio on:
Wodonga 106.5, Bright 89.7, Corryong 99.7, and Goulburn Valley 97.7


Phone Hotlines
Victoria Police (road closures) 1800 444 343
Parks Victoria 13 19 63
CFA 13 15 99

Websites
Department of Sustainability and Environment
Community Updates on the DS&E website are also available

Actual Fire Situation Maps, Victoria
 An actual fire situation map can be found directly at:
http://www.nre.vic.gov.au/fires/updates/report/index.htm 

Source: http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/

Hospital evacuated as bushfires loom
Posted: Thu, 23 Jan 2003 18:57 AEDT

A hospital has been evacuated at Omeo in Victoria's east Gippsland region as bushfires close in, with Bogong fires now burning more than 140,000 hectares of bush.
The southern firefront stretches from Harrietville north of Mt Hotham, east to Benambra.
People living south of the firefront at Anglers Rest, Shannonvale, Bundara Valley, Omeo, Swifts Creek and Dargo are all waiting for the fires to head their way.
The blaze is expected to reach Omeo on the weekend.
Omeo Hospital chief executive officer Mick Ellis says all 18 patients have been moved to safety as a precaution.
"We made the call that it's probably better to do it earlier rather than later," Mr Ellis said.
Resident Monica Morgan says people are working frantically to clean up their homes before the fire hits.
"The CFA [Country Fire Authority] are around to help, this gorgeous guy came to have a look if I'm safe," Ms Morgan said.
Backburning operations have been taking place ahead of predicted weekend tempretures into the high 30s.

Source: ABC news

 

TASMANIA:

SADDLEBACK - SITUATION UPDATE

05:47:41 PM 23 January, 2003

Fire is still active with 2 applicances in attendance.

 

STORMLEA - SITUATION REPORT

05:45:55 PM 23 January, 2003

Fire has been contained and is now being patrolled

 

BEN LOMOND MARSHES - SITUATION UPDATE

05:43:38 PM 23 January, 2003

Fire is still active with 3 appliances and a dozer working to contain within safe boundaries.

 

CAVESIDE - SITUATION UPDATE

05:41:54 PM 23 January, 2003

Fire has been contained and has crews patrolling the boundaries.

 

WATSONS ROAD, GLEN HUON - SITUATION UPDATE

05:40:35 PM 23 January, 2003

Fire is out and being patrolled and monitored on a regular basis.

 

FLINDERS ISLAND - SITUATION UPDATE

05:36:35 PM 23 January, 2003

Fire has been contained and there have been no major flare ups of fires within the containment lines today. Crews are continuing to black out and extinguish fires within the lines.

 

TWELVETREES - SITUATION UPDATE

05:33:56 PM 23 January, 2003

Fire is still active, crews are moving around the Gordon River Road edge and blacking out. Machinery establishing control lines around the fire perimeter, with wet forest still providing some boundary.

 

BROADMARSH/BRIGHTON - SITUATION UPDATE

05:29:46 PM 23 January, 2003

Burning in the Mt Dromedary, Bluff Road area. Fire fighters are working on an out-break on Cobbs Hill caused by a Car fire. A total of 20 appliances and 4 bulldozers are continuing to construct safe boundaries and patrolling. 

 

TOTAL FIRE BAN FOR FRIDAY 24TH & SATURDAY 25TH JANUARY 2003
05:23:25 PM 23 January, 2003

The Tasmania Fire Service has declared a Total Fire Ban for tomorrow(Friday 24th & Saturday 26th January 2003) for the whole of the state commencing at midnight tonight. A Total Fire ban means no fires are allowed in the open. Gas and electric BBQ’s are allowed. Wood fired BBQ’s are prohibited.

 

UXBRIDGE - SITUATION UPDATE

05:23:07 PM 23 January, 2003

Is still active, with 8 Tasmaina Fire Service,6 Norske Skog appliances and 5 Bulldozers working to contain the fire.

 

DARLING RANGES, FLINDERS ISLAND FIRE
23 January 2003, 1600 hours

There have been no major flare ups of fires within the containment lines today.

This has enabled crews to concentrate on blacking out and extinguishing fires within the containment lines.With crews digging out peat fires and pushing into dense scrub and bushland, today has been a difficult day for them. Fire crews are making every effort to blacken out as many fires as possible that are still burning in the containment lines, before Saturday’s predicted very high danger day.

 

KREGORS ROAD, MIDDLETON - SITUATION UPDATE

05:17:31 PM 23 January, 2003

Fire is now out and is being patrolled on a regular basis to ensure no flare ups occur from smouldering debris.

 

NEW NORFOLK - SITUATION UPDATE

05:12:06 PM 23 January, 2003

Situated in the Pegasus Drive area between New Norfolk town boundary and Boyer.

Five units in attendance conducting property protection.

 

BROADMARSH/BRIGHTON - SITUATION UPDATE
02:32:23 PM 23 January, 2003

Fires in the Broadmarsh areas have burnt an estimated 4700 hectares between the two fires known as Bluff Road division and Millvale division. Both of these fires are contained on the North and Eastern sides and are being patrolled. All fire activity is on the South West corner of both fires. Firefighting operations for today include 27 firefighting units and 98 personnel, 2 helicopters and 3 bulldozers. They will be establishing control lines around spot fires North of Mt Dromedary and Storeys Road area and protecting houses in the Church Road and Cranes Road area. Overnight backburning operations did not burn out a large enough area to reach control lines. It is anticipated to continue backburning operations tonight in the Mt Dromedary area. The backburning operations are to bring the fire edge out to control lines in preparation for predicted severe fire weather expected on Friday and Saturday. One Tasmania Fire Service light tanker was burnt yesterday afternoon in the Bluff Road division whilst left unattended. No firefighters were in danger. Tasmania Fire Service personnel will be visiting residents in the Boyer Road area to advise on clearing flammable materials around their homes in preparation for the severe fire weather expected on Friday and Saturday.

 

DARLING RANGES, FLINDERS ISLAND - SITUATION UPDATE
12:24:29 PM 23 January, 2003

Fire activity remained low in all sectors overnight, under the influence of low temperatures. Today bulldozers will be used to push into areas of thick scrub to access hot spots and extinguish. All crews will be concentrating on blackening out and extinguishing any fires burning within the containment lines ahead of Saturday.

 

MEDIA RELEASE - VOLUNTEER ASSISTANCE
11:35:59 AM 23 January, 2003

The Tasmania Fire Service is receiving many calls from people volunteering to help fight fires. Whilst appreciating these gestures of help, the Tasmania Fire Service does not need any volunteers to staff their fire trucks. We have sufficient personnel trained and equipped to operate

Source: Tasmania Fire Service (TFS)


To check the current weather situation, follow this link to the Bureau of Meteorology weather forecast for Tasmania http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/tas/

Actual Fire Situation Maps, Tasmania

For more information on Australia see the IFFN country notes and have a look at the Australian and New Zealand links.
For background Information see also: Recent Media Highlights on Fire, Policies, and Politics


 

Australia´s fire seasons

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