Fires in Australia
Fires in Australia
10 January 2007
Latest GOES-12 image:
This multispectral combined image was taken on 9 January 2007and shows bushfires still blazing in New South Wales, Australia.
(source: OSEI)
Residents in Gippsland are under renewed threat from a fire thathas been burning out of control for more than a month.
Residents in the isolated Victorian town of Ensay in Gippsland have beenescorted from the area to stock up on supplies ahead of hot, windy conditionsthreatening to intensify a bushfire raging nearby.
The town of Tambo Crossing is on alert this morning as the 10,000ha fire, ablow-out from the major Great Divide South fire complex that has burned vasttracts of the state’s high country since December, rages west of the town.
There has been about 20km of backburning overnight as crews continue to workto strengthen and deepen containment lines ahead of the weather on Wednesday andThursday.
DSE and Country Fire Authority crews have also been backburning around a2140ha fire in forest country at Boulder Creek, between Orbost and CannRiver.
More than 250 people, including 33 New Zealand and 50 NSW firefighters, arebattling the Boulder Creek blaze, supported by 23 bulldozers and six aircraft.Also 52 Canadian firefighters arrived in Melbourne to help battle the bushfires.
The crew of 45 men and seven women includes nine rappellers, trained toabseil into remote fire grounds from helicopters, and seven specialist emergencycoordination personnel.
The Great Divide North and South fires have burned more than 903,000ha ofbush in Victoria’s high country.
Several parks and forests have been closed to the public due to the bushfiresin the area.
The current situation in Australia is covered by a number of detailedreports (see GFMC Media web page):
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Government bushfire response ‘pathetic’ (published by www.theaustralian.news.com.au, 10 January 2007)
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Gippsland fires (published by www.skynews.com.au, 10 January 2007)
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Threat to bushfire research (published by wimmera.yourguide.com.au, 9 January 2007)
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Town stocks up as fire nears (published by www.news.com.au, 9 January 2007)
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CFA to keep eye on swamp fires (published by www.abc.net.au, 9 January 2007)
Further Information on the Fire Situation in Australia:
SA Country Fire Service http://www.cfs.org.au/ Near-Real Time Wildland Fire Monitoring https://gfmc.online/current/au_ciro.htm Current weather situation, forecasts, fireweather http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/tas/ More Information on Australian Fires IFFN country notes Department of Sustainability and Environment
http://www.nre.vic.gov.au/fires/index.htm
Tasmania Fire Service
Further Information Australian and New Zealand links. Background information Recent Media Highlights on Fire, Policies, and Politics
