Australia NSW
FireUpdate
NSWRural Fire Service
01 October2003
1. Fire Update 01 October
Another day of mild conditions, and some rain, largely assisted more than 400firefighters to do containment work today, although backburning was hampered inthe Northern Tablelands.
There are still 59 fires in NSW, generally in the Northern Tablelands and TwinRivers areas, however the majority are contained and being patrolled.
Rain assisted operations in Cessnock and Wyong, where Section 44 `bushfireemergency’ declarations have been lifted as fire activity has decreased.Firefighters achieved containment of Cessnock’s fires in the Laguna, Wollombi,Bucketty area before rain affected firegrounds.
Backburning was conducted in Hastings despite drizzle. Crews were pulled offfire grounds this afternoon due to wet and slippery conditions. Eight of the 12fires in Hastings are contained and work will continue in generally favourableconditions tomorrow.
Rain hampered backburning and containment work in the Tenterfield area. Crewswere removed from slippery, dangerous firegrounds. The rain will help the numberof fires that are contained and being patrolled, but has not assisted firesrequiring containment lines.
A land gale predicted for the Northern Tablelands this evening may causefiregrounds to rapidly dry and increase fire activity.
HASTINGS KEMPSEY
Drizzling rain has fallen on the Twin Rivers area assisting firefightingefforts. Fortunately, the rain did not hamper backburning activity today andcontainment work continued, although slippery dangerous conditions forced crewsoff the fireline this afternoon.
Of the 12 fires burning in the Hastings district eight are contained and beingpatrolled. Containment work continues on the other four.
Viewmont fire in Nambucca District is now out.
Nambucca and Kempsey Fires looking good with an expectation that the main focusof Section 44 operations will be on the fires in the Hastings area. The fourfires in Kempsey are contained.
Hastings
Wallis Fire – 50 ha of private property is contained.
· Red Hill, Telegraph Point , 570ha being controlled. Start 13.9 on privateproperty. Hard containment lines have been identified and are being constructedyesterday.
· Jaspers Peak, Birdwood, 1250ha. Start 11.9.03 on private property. Fire isgoing in inaccessible terrain.
· Cemetery Fire, Comboyne, is at 250ha. Start 12.9 on private property. Fire isgoing. Monitor and patrol. Fire is smouldering well within lines.
· Gallway Fire, Birdwood, 1300ha is being controlled. Started 11.9 on privateproperty. Fire spreading slowly along Forbes Road, Wollongbar Rd and WollongbarSouth Road. Could spread to larger areas of regrowth forest and PappinbarraValley. Objective is to halt spread at natural and established control lines andstop spreading to the east.Strategy includes working along Yuraga and DongaTrails. Water bomb if practicable.
· Albert Fire (Yarras), 250ha. Fire is going. Started 25/9. Fire burning ininaccessable terrain.
· Coopers Fire (Yarras), is being controlled. 522ha. The fire is burning ininaccessible country.The spread of this fire should be contained by utilisingold hazard reduction burn and natural containment lines.
· Tower Fire (Telegraph Point), 180ha, is contained. Fire started on privateproperty 24/9. Crews are working on containment lines. Potential but no currentthreat to rural properties along Gum Scrub Rd and Bailys Rd.
· Saddle Trail – 1192ha of national park land – fire is contained. Started23/09/03 . 15 firefighters and aircraft are working on the fire. Control linesare Kumbatine Brook Rd- Side Cut trail- Stockyard trail- Main Rangetrail. Twodozers and tractor continue to prepare fallback lines. Crews will monitor thefire that is spreading south within containment lines. Back burning western andsouthern flanks will be undertaken when and if conditions allow. Aggressive mopup and patrol. Helicopter water bucketing supporting ground crews during heat ofthe day. Two dozers to keep access open due to many falling trees.
· Porter Fire, 915ha, is going. Start 26/09/03.
· McIvers Ridge Fire Upsalls Creek State Forest,is contained 830ha. Start26/09/03 on State Forest.
· Beechwood West (Wauchope) 79ha. Fire is contained.. Start 26/09/03 on privateproperty.
North Shore Fire, 3ha, being patrolled.
Kempsey
Winstead Fire (Kempsey) – 237ha is contained. 20 firefighters working in thearea. Start 26/09/03. Control lines put in by dozer and grader and controlburning, property protection has been completed around a property in the northeastern corner. Backburning on the western containment line. Patrollingovernight. Monitor and patrol existing containment lines to ensure fire remainscontained.Concerns about the fire traveling north into Maria State Forest andMaria National Park and private property.
Stumpy Ck – 611ha is contained. Started 27/9 suspicious. 20 firefighters.Abandoned house in unburnt area saved with grader work and small back burnduring the evening. 200 bee box’s saved with back burning.Additional backburn toadd log piles in south western corner.
Victoria Valley – 306ha is contained. Start 27/09/03 . 15 firefighters.
Starlings Rd – 250ha contained. Dozer line circling entire fire. Several treeson fire edge are alight and are being monitored. Mopping up continuing. Start06/09/03.
Great Lakes
– Telleragree Fire, Cooloongoolok 550ha. – Being patrolled. Fire withincontainment lines. Crews blacking out.Crews working to contain fire east ofPossum Pie Rd, north of he Coolongolook River west of the Pacific Hwy and southof 4wd trail running east. Fire started on private property 26/9.
. Lawlers Creek, being patrolled. 75ha. Start 28/9.
· Wallis Island – 600ha. OUT. Fire started 24/9 .
· Ebsworth Rd Fire, 450ha, OUT. Start 22.9.03. Fire started on privateproperty.
· Curreeki Ck Coolongolook, 10ha, OUT.
Dungog
Massey Ck – 1385. OUT
Gloucester
Bullen Bullen 500ha, is being patrolled. Fire is in inaccessible terrain. Fireis self extinguished in the open grazing lands due to lack of fuel.
Nambucca
· Viewmont Fire, Bollanolla Nature Reserve, 1046ha, is OUT .Start on privateproperty.
HUNTER – Cessnock
All fires in Cessnock have been contained with little or no fire activity.Containment coincided with drizzling rain, which may assist to extinguish finalfire activity on the Cullys Arm fire.
Only about 2mm of rain has fallen but this has assisted firefighting operations.
The Section 44 `bushfire emergency’ declaration is likely to be lifted thisevening.
More than 100 firefighters have worked in the area .
A Section 44 `bushfire emergency’ applies to the Cessnock and Maitland districtsto enable firefighters to coordinate resources on fires in the area.
The Laguna Complex of fires in the Laguna, Wollombi and Bucketty areas has beencontained.
The Murrays Run Fire is contained and being patrolled at 5ha. The Heaton Rd Fireat Quorrobolong has also been contained at 20ha. The fires will be monitored.
NORTHERN RIVERS
Kyogle
· Clarks Fire (Larnook, Boorabee Rd), 467ha private land. Fire is contained andbeing patrolled by helicopter. Little current threat.Start 7.9.03 on privateproperty.
· Swindlers Fire, Paddys Flat, 667ha of national park and is being patrolled.Started 13.9 on State Forest. Fire is contained and being patrolled by air.
· Ducat (Capeen), 337ha private and national park. Is being patrolled. Start14.9 on private property.There is little fire activity. Fire was going out onceit reached flat grass land areas.
· Mt Williams (Bonalbo), 161ha private land is being patrolled. Started 16.9 onprivate property.
· Palen Creek, 207ha is being patrolled. Started 15.9 in Border Ranges NationalPark. Fire is mostly surrounded by World Heritage listed rainforest. Low threat.
Copmanhurst
· Mt Lardner (Whiporie) – OUT 315ha of private and national park land. Start12.9 on private property.
· Camira Complex (Clearfield) OUT. (Camira and Mt Neville Fires) 4448ha ofprivate, national park and State Forest land. Start 10/9 on privateproperty.Very low threat.
NORTHERN TABLELANDS – Tenterfield, Severn, Inverell
Drizzling rain is affecting the Northern Tablelands. This may assist the numberof fires around Tenterfield which are being patrolled, but has forced crews offthe firegrounds and stopped containment work on other fires.
The rain has hampered backburning and containment activities.
A land gale warning has been issued for this evening. If predicted strong windseventuate they may dry the fireground out and cause complications for firesstill requiring containment.
Fires of concern are Hewetts Peak Complex, McMinmus and Oaks.
Malara & Sandy Creek fires are being monitored by air.
Task forces are proceeding to Tenterfiedl from Region East and West .
Backburning to recommence as soon as possible to consolidate containment lines.
Of the more than 30 fires that have affected the area for the past two weeks, 15have been declared out.
Of the fires currently affecting the area, 8 are being patrolled, one iscontained, two are being contained and one is going.
Tenterfield
· Hewitts Peak (Henry River) east southeast of Glen Innes, 16820 ha beingcontrolled. Private and State Forest land. Started 5.9 on Brothers State Forest.Fire destroyed five dwellings in the multiple-occupancy community of Whytalaba.Control strategy is to utilise existing trails and drainage systems forcontainment lines. Construct new containment and fall back lines wherenecessary.
· Malara Fire, 545ha of private property and National Park. The fire is going.Start 25/09/2003.
· Sandy Creek (Bulldog Rock) east of Tenterfield, 936ha, private, NPWS, StateForest land. Is contained. Started 12.9. The fire is burning in rough terrain.*· · McMinimus (Wallangarra) 2350ha is being controlled. Fire started inQueensland. Burn progresses further through rough and inaccessible terrain – noimmediate threat to assets of commercial value. More than 40 firefighters areworking on the fire.
· Oaks (Sandy Flat) southeast of Tenterfield, 6029ha, private and State Forestland is being patrolled. Started 8/9 on private property.
· Branch Gully (Paddys Flat) north northeast of Tenterfield, being patrolled,894ha private land. Monitor and patrol all containment lines. State Forest crewsare mopping up and patrolling to ensure the fire remains within containmentlines.
· Girrard, 1038ha of State Forest and private property is contained and beingpatrolled. Started 9.9 on State Forest. No active fire observed for some days.
· Glen Elgin, 10ha private property. OUT.
· Turkey Nest (Drake) 57ha start 22/9 State Forest, being patrolled. No currentthreat posed. Fire is being monitored.
· Lighting T Fire 1ha, being patrolled, started 26/09/03 on State Forest.
· Rivertree Fire (Paddys Flat) 294ha private property is being patrolled. Noactive fire observed.
· Sugarbag, 455ha. OUT. Started private property 10.9.
· Patemans, 280ha, is OUT. Start 10.9 on private property.
· Poverty Point (Malara Ck), 1558ha. Is OUT. Start 10.9 on private property.
· Tooloom, 70ha, State Forest land is OUT. Start 10.9 on State Forest land.
· Eagle Creek, 80ha, private property is OUT.
· Rough Hill, 130ha, private property is OUT.
· Emu Creek (northeast of Tenterfield), 174ha, private property is OUT
· Pretty Gully (northeast of Tenterfield), 5ha, is OUT. Start private property13.9.
· Paddys Flat, 10ha, is OUT. Started 12.9 on private property.
Severn
· Tinderbox – 70ha, start 27/09/03 being patrolled.
· Butterleaf Fire (northeast of Glen Innes), 1827ha, is being patrolled.Started 30.8. No active fire observed at perimeter for some days .
· Oakwood Creek (Henry River) east southeast of Glen Innes, 6875ha nationalpark, State Forest and private property is OUT. Started 2.9 on private property.
· Kangawalla Fire (Shannon Vale) east southeast of Glen Innes, 586ha, isOUT.Started 14.9 on private property.
· Capoompeta (south of Tenterfield), 5696ha private, State Forest, nationalpark land is OUT. Start private property 2.9.
Inverell
· Bebo Fire (west northwest of Tenterfield), 601ha State Forest and privateStarted lightning strike in State Forest on 13.9. Is OUT.
WYONG
The fire in the Mangrove Mountain area has been contained and is beingpatrolled.
Central Mangrove – 924ha is contained. A Section 44 “bushfire emergency” wasdeclared on Thursday, 25/9. The declaration was revoked today. The fire willthen be managed as a class 1 under local arrangements between RFS and NPWS. NPWScrews are on standby at Fire Control Centre for response should aerialreconnaissance determine it is required. Fire started 24.9.03. 27 .
NEW ENGLAND
Rain is falling in the area and all fires of concern are at patrol status.
Armidale/Dumaresq
· Carrai Creek, going, 3700ha. Crews saved a home on the Carrai Plateau on 29/9and may have to do property protection work with about seven other properties iffire activity increases. Objective is to contain fire eat of Kunderang Brook andMacleay River. Mild weather should assist backburning. Crews intend to completebackburn off northern end of Carrolla Ck Trail and assess Cochrane North FireTrail for backburning. Five RFS and eight NPWS units working in the area.
Strategy is to contain fire to south of Warwick and Cochrane Rds and west ofSmiths Ck. Backburns conducted from Warwick Rd in front of fire moving to east.Use tractor to push control line from Warwick Rd into rainforest along SmithsCk. Fire crossed Warwick Road pm 26/09. Start on 11/9 on private property.
– Brassey Fire, 100ha, being patrolled. There is limited risk of fire running tothe east into Brassey and Doyles River SF and Werrikimoe NP because theimmediate western flank was burned last year.
Walcha
· Tobins fire is OUT, 10ha. Started 26/09/03 suspiously.
· Plum Tree Hill Fire is contained. 371ha Enfield State Forest. Backburn in thenorthwest containment line this afternoon to contain fire on the on that flank.Blacking out and regular patrol. Started 11/09/03 .
· Rusdens Ck, 15ha NPWS land.Is OUT. Start 22/09/2003.
· Burns Ck, patrol, 700ha. Very low threat to further State Forest, however -fire is being patrolled. Unlikely to escape from natural containments of BurnsCreek and Rowleys River. Started on private property 11/9.
· Hicks Fire, being patrolled at 1000ha of private, State Forest and NPWS. Verylow threat of fire making further incursions into State Forest. Similarly lowthreat of further incursions into national park. Fire started on privateproperty on 11/9.
· Double Dumps Fire, being patrolled 740ha. Control strategies include Rowley’sRiver and rainforest scrub to the east to contain. Fire contained by dozertrails and backburning on north, south and west flanks.
Guyra
· Kings Gap, is being patrolled, 1600ha. Aim is to keep fire west ofThunderbolt Way. Start 12/9 by lightning.Crews contained the Kings Gap Fire,between Bundarra and Tingha, with backburns on the Thunderbolts Way.
PRISTINE WATERS MACLEAN
Tanglewood Fire contained after successful back burns being conducted overnightahead of predicted rain. Pine Tree Ridge fire and Ramornie Fires now out.Majority of existing fires are at patrol status.
· Phillips Creek Fire, 4809ha, being patrolled on State Forest and privateland. Fire is contained on all sectors. Start 8.9 on State Forest.
Tony Water Hole, going, 1ha.
Big Bull Fire, 10ha, contained.
Black Hill, 5ha, being patrolled.
· Broadmeadows (Dalmorton), 950ha, contained. Start 10/9. Cause spotover fromfire in Dalmorton State Forest.
· Middle Creek, being controlled, 2100ha. Start 22/9.
· Freemans Fire, 570ha. Start 09/09/2003. Being patrolled.
· Neaves, being patrolled. 10ha.
Middle Creek Fire, 2100ha. Being patrolled.
· Wells Spur Fire, 516ha, being patrolled by NPWS.
· Pine Trees Fire, 130ha.OUT. Start 26/09.
· Moses Rock Fire, 465ha, OUT.
· Stockyard Fire. 530ha, OUT.
· Blackbutt, 300ha, OUT.
· Ramornie Station, 500ha, OUT.
Maclean
Tanglewood, 500ha, contained. RFS, NPWS, SF crews carrying out aggressive mop uptonight. Consolidate and mop up through tomorrrow.Start 28/9.
Lills Fire, going, 50ha. Establish break around fire with D7 Dozer and StateForests D3 tractor. Mopup, black out and patrol. SF Helicopter will be used thisafternoon to inspect fire and water bucket any hot spots. Start 29/9.
Crowleys Creek, 50ha, being patrolled. Start 23/9
Chainy Waterhold, going.Pine Brush State Forest. Start 30/9.
FAR NORTH COAST – TWEED
Fire near Mt Warning is being patrolled and the national park is open.
Mt Warning – 75ha of National Park and private property. Being patrolled. Start26/9 by lightning.
