NSW and QLD bushfires: UPDATE

NSW and QLD bushfires: 

Worst may still be yet to 

come with catastrophic 

conditions forecast
The danger facing Australians tomorrow is so monumental that authorities are warning it will be "almost impossible" to protect you.

News.com.au,

11 November, 2019

Firefighters are still battling to contain the bushfires raging across New South Wales and Queensland before "catastrophic" weather conditions hit tomorrow.

There are 64 fires burning in New South Wales, 40 of which are still uncontained. Premier Gladys Berejiklian declared a state of emergency today, giving emergency powers to Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons and prohibiting fires across the state.

Approximately 970,000 hectares have burned or are currently burning in NSW, and 200 homes and sheds have been destroyed. Three fire victims have died. In better news, all five people who were previously missing have been located.

High temperatures, strong winds and dry air are expected to combine tomorrow to create one of the most dangerous bushfire days in Australian history. Areas such as the Hunter, the Illawarra and greater Sydney are all under “catastrophic” fire danger warnings – the first time Sydney has ever faced that kind of threat since the new rating system was implemented 10 years ago.

Meanwhile almost 50 fires are burning in Queensland, though firefighters are particularly focused on three which could threaten lives and homes when conditions worsen. Those are the Cobraball, Cooroibah and Thornton fires.

Nine homes have been destroyed in the state – eight of them in the Cobraball blaze, which is still burning out of control along a 30 kilometre front southwest of Yeppoon. About 11,000 hectares of land have been blackened in the area.

A state of emergency was declared across 42 local government areas in Queensland late last week, meaning it too has a blanket ban on lighting fires. Premier Anastacia Palaszczuk says residents must be prepared to leave their homes if authorities tell them to.

“Don’t second-guess them, just do it because it’s in the best interests of you and your family. We want people to be safe,” she said this morning.

There are also fears for residents in parts of Western Australia, with an extreme fire danger forecast for the South Interior tomorrow.

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