Bushfires are raging across New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland forcing hundreds of schools to close, widespread evacuations and a “catastrophic” fire rating. The catastrophic fire rating was bluntly described by NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons as meaning: “it’s where people die”.
The catastrophic rating was first introduced in 2009, but this is the first time it has been issued for Sydney.
NSW Rural Fire Service said: “Catastrophic is the highest level of bush fire danger.
“Homes are not designed to withstand a fire under these conditions.”
Areas under a catastrophic warning in NSW are:
- The Hunter: Cessnock, Dungog, Lake Macquarie, Singleton and the Upper Hunter
- North and north-west: Camden, central coast, the Hills, Hawkesbury, Hunters Hill, Ku-ring-gai, Lane Cove, Mosman, North Sydney, northern beaches, Ryde, Willoughby
- Sydney west and inner west: Burwood, Canada Bay, Strathfield, Blacktown, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Liverpool, Parramatta Penrith, Sydney (includes some inner west suburbs).Sydney east: Randwick, Waverley, Woollahra
- South and south-west: Georges River, Kogarah, Sutherland.
Read More: Where are the bushfires in NSW and QLD? How did Australia fires start?
More than 30 people have been injured, and around 350 koalas killed in the town of Port Macquarie in New South Wales.
As of Sunday, more than 70 fires were burning in New South Wales, with 36 not under control.
In the neighbouring state of Queensland, more than 50 fires were burning on Sunday.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services acting commissioner Mike Wassing said in a statement: “We’re experiencing tinder box-like conditions across much of the state and all it takes is one spark to start a fire that may burn for days.”
In Queensland, around 5,000 homes have been evacuated over the last 48 hours, with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reporting residents are unable to return.
Rural fire service commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said conditions will continue to exacerbate fires across the next week and during the summer months.
He said: “The forecast for the balance of the season continues to be driven by above-normal temperatures (and) below-average rainfall to dominate over the coming months.”
For Australia, spring falls from September to November, and summer is from December to February.
Last summer was the hottest on record for Australia, with temperatures peaking at 49.3C at Marble Bar in Western Australia on December 27.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison praised the work of firefighters, volunteers and members of the community but talked of challenging days ahead.
Speaking at an evacuation centre in the town of Taree, he said: “There is a long way to go and Tuesday is looking more difficult.
“And that is not only trickier in New South Wales, we know of similar types of conditions that we are seeing in Western Australia on Tuesday as well.