Crews make good progress with Blue Mountains back-burning

Crews make good progress with Blue Mountains back-burning

23 November 2006

published by www.abc.net.au


Australia– The Rural Fire Service (RFS) says firefighters in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, are making good progress with back-burning operations that are aimed at stopping the Grose Valley fire from reaching properties.

The RFS says the fire is still burning out of control.

It is now 2.5 kilometres south of Mount Tomah, near the Bells Line of Road which remains closed.

On the opposite side of the Grose Valley, the fire is about four kilometres from the townships of Linden and Faulconbridge, near the Great Western Highway.

But it is cooler in the area today. The winds have dropped, helping the waterbombing effort and giving firefighters a predicted two-day window of opportunity for back-burning to protect property.

There have been some new outbreaks, but fire authorities say they are under control.
Plantations threatened

Meanwhile a large fire in Victoria’s far south-west is threatening plantations after breaking through control lines.

More than 300 firefighters continue to battle the blaze.

The fire in the Roseneath State Forest, near Durgholm, has burnt out 10,000 hectares since Tuesday.

It has escaped control lines on two sides, travelling across the Casterton-Durgholm Road.

Waterbombers and firefighters are being hampered by the rough terrain and dry conditions.

Incident controller Bill Spears says warmer weather is bringing very active fire behaviour, which is likely to continue into the evening with no rain in sight.

“If you could order it for me, I would take buckets full of it,” he said.

Separate fires in the Casterton area are now under control.


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