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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Amy Remeikis, Lisa Cox and Christopher Knaus

Firefighters battle ACT bushfires – as it happened

Temperatures tomorrow will once again climb into the 40s in many regions across the fire zones. Thunderstorms are also predicted, which, as we have seen, can bring their own dangers - lightning has been one of the big issues this summer, sparking blazes.

Firefighters will be working through the night, as they have so many nights before since this all started in September. They are working on containing what they can ahead of tomorrow’s fire conditions. A massive thank you to all those on the ground, and the countless others helping to support them - including all the families anxiously waiting at home. We think of you, and we are with you.

To the journalists and photographers out in the field today - thank you for the incredible job you did bringing us information from the fire field - and in the case of our Mike Bowers, Chris Knaus, the SMH and the Age’s Alex Ellinghausen and SBS’s Brett Mason and others, (please forgive me for omitted names - it’s hard to pick out all the faces from the smoke) helped Laurence Cowie protect his property. It’s not the first time media professionals have picked up tools to help out where they can, and it won’t be the last - but we thank them too, and we are overwhelmingly grateful that today, everyone went home safe.

If you are in the firezones, please keep an eye on updates from your local authorities. Once again, if they advise you to leave, it is often best to do so. If you choose to stay, make sure you have a plan for all contingencies. Fire comes up quick - quicker than you can imagine, if you haven’t experienced it before - it’s dark, and hot, and louder than you think, and so overwhelmingly, you often don’t know where to look because it’s around you from all sides. So please, stay safe.

We’ll be back tomorrow. Take care of you.

In Victoria, the Bonang fire in east Gippsland is still at emergency level.

There are several still at the watch and act level though - Bendoc, Bendoc Upper, Bendoc North, Marlo and Tabbara.

We are going to leave it there for the night, but we will be back tomorrow to keep you updated.

There is a cool change coming through in the next hour or so for parts of south-eastern Australia, but there is still an emergency alert for the Clear Range fire (in the Snowy Monaro) which Mike Bowers and Chris Knaus, along with other media, were caught up in a little earlier today (don’t worry - they, along with the owners of the property they were helping, and their horses, who you might have seen in some photos posted earlier, are all OK. Thankfully)

From the RFS:

Current Situation

  • A number of spot fires have started as a result of the Orroral Valley bush fire in the ACT.
  • These fires are spreading quickly in a south-easterly direction towards Bredbo.
  • There is an immediate threat to properties and lives in the areas of Colinton, Michelago and Bredbo.
  • Firefighters and aircraft are working to slow the spread of these fires where possible.
  • The Monaro Highway is closed.
  • Dangerous fire conditions are forecast today, with a Severe fire danger forecast.
  • Under these conditions, fires will spread quickly and embers may be blown ahead of the main firefront. These embers may start new fires.
  • Fire activity has also increased in the area to the west of The Angle.
  • This map shows the potential spread of fire. It is based on the latest fire predictions and weather forecast.
  • For more information on the Orroral Valley fire please follow the link to the ESA Website.

Advice

Colinton, Michelago and Bredbo area

  • If you are the area of Colinton, Michelago and Bredbo, you are at risk.
  • It is too late to leave.
  • Seek shelter as the fire approaches. Protect yourself from the heat of the fire by sheltering in a solid structure.
  • If you are away from the area, you will not be able to return. The Monaro Highway is closed.

Surrounding areas including Tinderry, Anembo, Jernagle, Chakola

  • Be alert for embers being blown ahead of the main fire front. These may start spot fire and threaten properties before the main fire front arrives.
  • Follow your bush fire survival plan. If you don’t have a plan, know what you will do if the fire threatens.

Yes it has been.

Tomorrow’s predicted thunderstorms also bring their own worries

AAP has an update on the NSW fire situation:

The Rural Fire Service warned there was an immediate threat to properties and lives from the Clear Range fire in the areas of Colinton, Michelago and Bredbo.

The out-of-control Clear Range blaze was created from embers that moved kilometres from the ACT’s large Orroral Valley fire.

Snowy Monaro Regional Council asked residents in the tiny town of Bredbo - which had a population of just 352 people in 2016 - to reduce their water usage where possible “to ensure there’s enough water for emergency firefighting efforts”.

“Water is currently being used faster than it can replenished,” the council posted on Facebook on Saturday evening.

RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said there had been no reported damage to homes.

However, structures such as horse stables, sheds and other outbuildings have been lost to fires in the region, he said.

An RFS spokeswoman on Saturday night said there had been unconfirmed reports of possibly five structures lost.

The Clear Range fire will continue to be a key focus for the RFS on Sunday, the spokeswoman said.

A southerly wind change is expected to push through very late on Saturday night and “with any wind change comes added complexities and potential new threats,” she said.

The type of vegetation on the fireground means the blaze can become quite erratic and spot ahead of itself, which can cause very difficult conditions for firefighters to manage.

“We do urge people in the communities in the entire perimeter of that fire to have a plan in place and to continue to monitor conditions because things are very likely to change with the wind changing over the next 24 hours,” she said.

“Keeping in mind tomorrow is still going to be a very hot day with those winds - whilst it’s (forecast to be) better than today, it’s going to be a key focus for us.”

Parliament returning next week will be a breeze compared to the summer

This was from very early this morning - what the weather systems created by the fires look like from above

And here is how Mike Bowers saw it from the ground:

A break in the smoke reveals a glimpse of the pyrocumulus cloud above the fire along the Bumbalong Road North of Bredbo.
A break in the smoke reveals a glimpse of the pyrocumulus cloud above the fire along the Bumbalong Road North of Bredbo. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Emergency warning issued for Bonang, Victoria

The east Gippsland fire continues to cause issues for emergency services.

It is too late to leave if you are in the path of the Bonang blaze.

From the CFA:

This Emergency Warning is being issued for Bonang.

  • There is a bushfire 2 km west of Bonang that is out of control.
  • The bushfire is travelling in a south-easterly direction and has crossed the Orbost-Bonang Road.
  • The forecast wind change could take the fire towards Bonang.
  • Firefighting resources are in the area to assist with asset protection.
  • There is a spot fire south of Legges Rd and North of Errinundra Rd.

You are in danger and need to act immediately to survive.
The safest option is to take shelter indoors immediately. It is too late to leave.

We’ve just made our way out past the police roadblock on the Monaro Highway, which links Canberra with Bredbo, Michelago, Cooma and the Snowy Mountains region.

As we drove out to safety, fire crews were still battling a number of grass fires on both sides of the highway. The fires were moving through paddocks but conditions were noticeably better.

The winds had dropped. The temperature was down. The flames weren’t moving with same intensity and unpredictability as earlier

Hopefully this helps firefighters get on top of the Clear Range bushfire, still at emergency level, which has burned through vast swathes since it began as a spot fire from the Orroral Valley fire in Namadgi.

BC Radio has reported homes have been lost in the region around the towns of Bredbo and Michelago, though we still don’t know how many. Thankfully, there are no reports of injuries.

Having seen the fire first-hand with Mike Bowers, that is truly incredible news.

Chris Knaus has written about being caught in a firestorm, with Mike Bowers.

For those who have been lucky enough to avoid being caught in a bushfire, it takes you through the absolute terror of that noise and the colour - and then absence of it - as a fire takes hold.

I’m just glad everyone is OK.

Canberra has set another temperature record this month:

If you are in NSW or the ACT and are thinking it is warmer than usual for this time of year, you are both right and wrong. It is not unusual for it to be this warm, but it is unusual for it to be this humid - and for the hot air to be trapped for this long.

The weather bureau tell us that is because warm, moist air has traveled down from the Northern Territory and Queensland. It’s become trapped by the storms in Victoria, which has pushed the air across the ACT and NSW - making it pretty challenging for firefighters.

There is not expected to be any notable cool down until around 11pm, when a southerly pushes through. But even then, it won’t be enough, with the hot air expected to stick around until Monday.

There is a cool change coming. It’s just some time away.

Poor air quality is also expected tomorrow, for those in Sydney.

For those wondering, it is 38 degrees in Canberra at the moment. It’s almost 8pm.

It is still over 30 degrees as NSW firefighters brace themselves for the night ahead.

The Clear Range fire is still at emergency level.

The Clyde Mountain Fire (near Batemans Bay) is still at watch and act.

There are more than 60 fires burning across NSW at the moment. At least 20 are not contained.

Updated

Because some of you have asked, here are some more of Mike Bower’s pictures from today:

Horses run as fire approaches Tallabrook lodge a property along the Bumbalong Road North of Bredbo.
Horses run as fire approaches Tallabrook lodge a property along the Bumbalong Road North of Bredbo. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
Still running (the horses are safe)
Still running (the horses are safe) Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
Fire consumes a stable on Tallabrook lodge a property along the Bumbalong Road North of Bredbo.
Fire consumes a stable on Tallabrook lodge a property along the Bumbalong Road North of Bredbo. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
A spot fire takes hold west of Bredbo from the Clear Range Fire along the Bumbalong Road.
A spot fire takes hold west of Bredbo from the Clear Range Fire along the Bumbalong Road. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Colinton is about 70km south of Canberra

There is a lot of appreciation coming through on social media for all of the firefighters who continue to battle this summer’s blazes. Justifiably so.

Mike Bowers and Chris Knaus were both at Laurence Cowie’s property as the Bredbo fire flared up.

Tallabrook Lodge Laurence Cowie races into his shed to save equipment on Tallabrook lodge a property along the Bumbalong Road North of Bredbo.
Laurence Cowie races into his shed to save equipment on Tallabrook lodge a property along the Bumbalong Road North of Bredbo. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
Laurence Cowie fights fire on Tallabrook lodge a property along the Bumbalong Road North of Bredbo.
Laurence Cowie fights fire on Tallabrook lodge a property along the Bumbalong Road North of Bredbo. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
Fire approaches Tallabrook lodge a property along the Bumbalong Road North of Bredbo.
Fire approaches Tallabrook lodge a property along the Bumbalong Road North of Bredbo. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

To update you further on Victoria, AAP reports:

Western and southern parts of the state are in for a soaking on Saturday off the back of a humid night, while eastern parts of the state battle dry conditions and fires.

“When it comes to the weather, it is really a tale of two states,” Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp told reporters on Saturday afternoon.

Damaging winds and heavy rainfall is likely in parts of the state’s north and central areas, with an emergency thunderstorm warning due to a destructive storm near Seymour.

“While we have seen some terrific rainfall over Victoria ... There is the risk of some isolated falls that will be heavy and dangerous,” Bureau of Meteorology’s Peter Otto said.

Heavy rain hit parts of the Wimmera, with Nhill recording 61mm by 9am on Saturday, Dimbola 51mm, Longerenong 42mm and Horsham 40mm.

It comes after an oppressive night with the humidity in Melbourne and Victoria earlier on Saturday comparable to Darwin and Singapore, Mr Otto said.

Ten fires are active in Victoria but heavy rain is expected to miss them.

Further on the downgrade on the Cape Conran fire in Victoria, to Watch and Act, AAP reports:

Several ‘watch and act’ warnings are also in place across the east and northeast, covering Bendoc, Bendoc Upper, Bendoc North, Marlo, Tabbara and Wulgulmerang.

A cool change is moving east across the state but it remains unusually humid.

It comes after western and southern parts of the state were drenched in rain on Saturday after a humid Friday night.

For context, for those who didn’t see it, here is what it looked like when that fire came up.

This fire came up very, very quickly.

Erindale College in Canberra is acting as an evacuation centre. It can hold up to 1500 people and the ADF is already in place. But it it not set up for overnight accommodation - instead, it is giving people a reprieve from the smoke and fire at the southern Canberra border, with local hotels stepping in to provide any overnight stays which may be necessary.

The fires at the ACT border have a lot of people - who still hold the memory of 2003 - very nervous.

VicEmergency has updated its warning for Cape Conran and Marlo Plains.

It has been changed to a Watch and Act.

A very big thank you to Lisa Cox for all her work today. And to everyone who is out covering today’s fire emergency.

You have Amy Remeikis for the rest of the evening.

Here is the latest from the NSW RFS on fire conditions expected on Sunday. There are no total fire bans anywhere in the state. Very high fire danger is forecast for seven areas, including Greater Sydney, the Greater Hunter and Illawarra/Shoalhaven.

Authorities have been talking today about these fires creating their own weather patterns. Guardian Australia photographer Mike Bowers took this shot near Bredbo.

Updated

Summary

Here is a wrap of the current fire conditions:

Five fires in NSW are at emergency warning level:

  • The Clear Range fire remains at emergency warning level. People in Michelago, Colinton and Bredbo should seek shelter, it is too late to leave. There is a threat to lives and property. If you are from these areas and are away, you are advised not to return at present.
  • This fire is spreading quickly in a south-easterly direction. People should be aware of ember attacks. Embers may blow ahead of the main front and start new fires before the main front arrives.
  • It is expected to be at least a few hours before there is any easing of conditions.
  • Elsewhere, the Border Fire, Big Jack Mountain fire and Postmans Trail fire in the Bega Valley are at emergency warning level.
  • The Creewah Road fire in the Snowy Monaro region is at emergency warning level.

The Orroral Valley fire in the ACT was upgraded to emergency warning level this afternoon, but has since been downgraded again to watch and act level.

  • The fire had been heading towards Boboyan Road, Naas Road, Top Naas Road and Apollo Road. People in the vicinity of these areas are advised to remain vigilant and to stay informed about fire activity. Conditions could become more dangerous again.
  • Joe Murphy, the chief officer of the ACT RFS, told ABC Canberra authorities are watching for a possible wind change this evening.

In Victoria, a fire at Cape Conran in the East Gippsland region has been burning at emergency warning level, with people told to seek shelter.

More smoke and poor air quality is forecast for Sydney tomorrow.

The ACT ESA has downgraded the Orroral Valley fire to watch and act level.

But it is advising people in the vicinity of Apollo Road, Boboyan Road, Naas Road and Top Naas Road to remain vigilant.

Here is the latest on the Orroral Valley fire, which remains at an emergency warning.

It is approaching Boboyan Road, Naas Road and Apollo Road. It is moving in a south-easterly direction towards Top Naas Road.

Anyone in the area should seek shelter immediately.

Updated

Some more images from Laurence and Claire Cowie’s property which has been under threat from the Clear Range fire.

Laurence and Claire Cowie’s property just felt the full force of the Clear Range fire. We were stuck here. The highway is cut off. At first, the fires were manageable. Spot fires would ignite on the fringes and Laurence would floor his ute to the scene and extinguish each one before it could take hold.

Then, out of nowhere, a wind change sent flames barrelling towards the house. Nothing could have stopped them. From inside, you could see the fire licking at the windows from the outside.

The wind sounded like a freight train, rattling the glass. Outside, chaos. Everywhere. The smoke was so thick that breathing was impossible. Ash and dirt caught in the eyes. The horses broke loose and fled from the fire’s approach. But there was nowhere to go. At every corner of the house flames threatened. Somehow it stood. Everyone pitched in. The media crews here were on hoses, with Laurence and Claire barking orders above the roar of the wind.

Every so often, the smoke and the heat became too much and we ran inside for shelter. Twice I watched Claire and Laurence’s dogs try to break free through the open front door. Each time they were caught just before they could run into the chaos outside.

The worst is over now. At the end of a terrifying 15 minutes, only the stables and a tractor had been razed to the ground. Truly a miracle. Blackened ground is within metres of the house on all sides. The “Well what can you do, we’re alive,” Claire said once it was done. “We’ve got a house. Not a lot of fencing left.”The horses, thankfully, survived. Their three dogs are safe too.

Some more from that press conference. Fire activity is increasing on all sides of the Orroral Valley fire.

On its western flank, it has broken containment lines and is heading west towards Mt Franklin Road.

Spot fires are occurring up to 10km in front of the main fire front.

Whelan says the intensity of the Orroral fire will increase over the next six hours. That will include more erratic fire behaviour because of the unpredictable conditions created by the fires own weather patterns.

Spot fires from the Clear Range fire, which has been burning at emergency level most of the day, are increasing and are expected to merge with the main fire.

It is currently 41C in Canberra and it is expected to remain that hot until 8pm. Temperatures will only drop slightly after that.

“We have along, variable night ahead of us,” Whelan says.

The ACT chief minister, Andrew Barr, and the ACT ESA commissioner, Georgeina Whelan, have given an update.

Conditions are getting worse.

The Orroral Valley fire, as we’ve just heard, has been upgraded to an emergency warning.

Barr says the ESA is preparing should the risk to Tharwa and Banks increase in coming hours.

“We again remind Canberrans, especially those in southern Tuggeranong, to remain vigilant this afternoon. The fire is growing and it may become unpredictable,” he says.

Whelan says the Orroral Valley fire is approaching Boboyan Road, Naas Road and Apollo Road.

People should seek shelter. Driving is extremely dangerous and potentially deadly.

She says the fire is now 35,800 hectares in size and is currently 2km from Tharwa and 7km from Banks.

“The fire is currently 400m from grassland on the northern side of Mount Tennent,” Whelan says.

“It is expected to be up to one to two hours before it reaches the grasslands.

“At this time ... active suppression will commence. And by that I mean firefighters on the ground, supported by aerial attack.”

But Whelan says that on the southern edge the fire has created its own weather system. She says the intensity will increase over the next few hours and crews have been withdrawn from this area for their own safety.

“The core of this fire activity is to the south-east of the ACT border,” she says.

“That does not mean it will not impact on the lower edge of the ACT.”

Updated

Emergency warning for Orroral Valley fire

The Orroral Valley fire has now been upgraded to an emergency warning.

Fire activity is increasing as conditions deteriorate.

The horses are ok.

Frightening conditions at the property my colleague Christopher Knaus has been reporting from today.

The wind gusts, when they come, are pushing the fire around at incredible speeds. At Laurence Cowie’s property north of Bredbo, there are fires on three sides of us. When the wind’s still, it’s predictable, safe.

But the gusts arrive and the fire turns instantly erratic. Flames accelerates at remarkable speeds. They reach high up into the air, up through dried out gum trees.

Cowie is busy skirting around his property in a ute. He has firefighting equipment in the back and is putting out spot fires when they threaten the fringes of his property.

Updated

Some updates on road closures from ACT Policing. As of 2.20pm the following road closures were in place:

Monaro Highway between Old Cooma Road (ACT/NSW border) and Rose Valley Road (NSW), Tharwa Drive at the Knoke Avenue roundabout, Cotter Road at Brindabella Road, Point Hut Road at Jim Pike Avenue, Angle Crossing at Monaro Highway, Boboyan Road at the ACT/NSW border, Naas Road, Smiths Road.

This gives you a sense of what firefighters are dealing with today. Numerous fires are at emergency level in NSW and they are now creating their own weather.

Erindale College is the evacuation centre operating from Canberra.

Summary

Time for a wrap of where things are so far today:

  • The Clear Range fire, which began as a spot fire from the Orroral Valley fire, remains at emergency warning level.
  • This fire is burning near Bredbo and Michelago and conditions are deteriorating. The situation is dangerous and it is now too late to leave.
  • The Monaro Highway is closed.
  • Four other fires in NSW are also at emergency level. They are the Border Fire in the Bega Valley, and fires at Postmans Trail and Big Jack Mountain, also in the Bega Valley. A fire at Creewah Road, Glen Allen in the Snowy Monaro region is also burning at emergency level.
  • The Bureau of Meteorology has warned conditions will get worse into the evening as north-westerly winds pick up and temperatures remain high. A change in wind direction is not forecast at this stage.
  • We are not likely to see any easing of conditions until about 10pm. Difficult conditions are forecast for Sunday, with possible thunderstorms.
  • In Victoria, an emergency warning is in place in the East Gippsland region for a fire at Cape Conran. It is too late to leave.

Emergency warning for Cape Conran and Marlo Plains, Victoria

A new emergency warning has been issued in Victoria’s East Gippsland region. Residents have been told it is too late to leave.

This from AAP:

A bushfire is threatening lives and homes in Victoria’s far east. An emergency warning has been issued for the Cape Conran blaze, with residents in that community as well as Marlo Plains told it’s too late to leave.

“You are in danger and need to act immediately to survive. The safest option is to take shelter indoors immediately,” the warning on Saturday afternoon said.

Updated

Neil Bennett, a duty forecaster with the Bureau of Meteorology, has spoken to ABC Canberra about the conditions forecast for the remainder of today and on Sunday.

The average windspeed so far today has been 35-40km/h, with gusts reaching up to 50km/h in some areas. Those strong winds have combined with very high temperatures to create very difficult fire conditions.

Bennett says those conditions are likely to deteriorate further this afternoon.

“We would expect to see an increase in the wind gustiness during the course of the afternoon unfortunately,” he says.

He says there is not likely to be any easing of conditions until about 10pm. But he says there is no change in wind direction - which would make firefighting very difficult - forecast currently.

On Sunday, the winds could be lighter but there is a thunderstorm risk, which means conditions will remain challenging.

However, Bennett says more humid air on Sunday could reduce the risk of ignition from lighting strikes.

Guardian Australia’s photographer Mike Bowers has filmed this video near Bredbo, where people are surrounded by fire.

Updated

Those worsening conditions appear to be arriving just as forecast.

Updated

Residents south of Canberra and in the southern suburbs are being urged to remain vigilant.

Updated

Mike Bowers has taken an extraordinary series of images near Bredbo.

A spot fire takes hold west of Bredbo from the Clear Range Fire along the Bumbalong Road.
A spot fire takes hold west of Bredbo from the Clear Range Fire along the Bumbalong Road. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
RFS crews protect property west of Bredbo.
RFS crews protect property west of Bredbo. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
A spot fire takes hold west of Bredbo from the Clear Range Fire along the Bumbalong Road.
Locals evacuate as what started as a spot fire from the Clear Range fire.
Locals evacuate as what started as a spot fire from the Clear Range fire. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
A spot fire takes hold west of Bredbo from the Clear Range Fire along the Bumbalong Road.

I’m still at Laurence Cowie’s property, north of Bredbo. We’ve just watched a spot fire take hold in some tea trees nearby. The trees are hidden behind a hill but as the fire catches we see a thick plume of black smoke rise up above the ridgeline.

Out of nowhere, the fire moves with a speed I’ve never seen before. It catches and tears along the ridgeline just west of Cowie’s home. Nothing could have outrun it.

Cowie is not fazed. We’re downhill from the flames – fire moves faster uphill – and the wind is moving the other way, he says. There’s also no fuel in his paddocks. So it’ll move slowly if it does approach the house.

Updated

Looks like things are rapidly getting worse for those fighting the Clear Range fire.

Conditions are deteriorating on the NSW south coast near Bega.

AAP has published this summary of situation in NSW:

Emergency warnings are in place for two fires in southeast NSW with homes under threat and a key highway closed.

People in Michelago and Bredbo, near the ACT border, were warned on Saturday morning properties were under threat from the Clear Range fire in southeast NSW.

That blaze – created from embers that moved kilometres from the ACT’s large Orroral Valley fire – has also led to the closure of the Monaro Highway.

Unprepared people in Michelago were urged to evacuate to Canberra, while unprepared people in Colinton should go to Cooma.

“If you are away from the area, you will not be able to return,” the RFS warned.

Homes are also under threat near Tantawangalo, south of Bemboka.

“Seek shelter as the fire approaches. Protect yourself from the heat of the fire by sheltering in a solid structure,” the RFS told those near Tantawangalo Mountain Road.

The Orroral Valley fire and the Big Jack Mountain fire near Mount Darragh are subject of watch-and-act alerts.

Five regions in the southeast quarter of NSW are under total fire ban on Saturday, with severe fire danger forecast.

The NSW Rural Fire Service has declared total fire bans on Saturday for the southern slopes, southern ranges, far south coast, Monaro alpine and Illawarra/Shoalhaven regions.

Temperatures are expected to hit 45C in some parts. Nerriga cracked 40C minutes after midday.

“We are in for a very hot and very long day today,” the RFS said on Saturday.

Heatwave conditions are expected to peak in NSW on Saturday, while thunderstorms – which may ignite new blazes – are also possible in parts of the south coast by Sunday morning.

Laurence Cowie is standing on his porch, watching the hills to the west of his property burn. He plans to stare down the Clear Range fire that’s burning near Bredbo, at the ACT/NSW border.

Cowie has been here 29 years. He’s lived through the disastrous 2003 fires. But he thinks this fire has more destructive potential for those living east of the Murrumbidgee River, where his property is.

Still, Cowie’s relaxed. He’s had experience with the RFS and is well prepared. RFS crews have just turned up to help.

“I’ve got the beer on ice,” he jokes to the Guardian. “Power’s always the first thing to go. Warm beer: it’s deadly.”

The horses on his property are far less settled. They’re skittish as the flames burn in their direction and the sky darkens to an orange black.

“They’re not settled. That’s a problem. Horses, livestock is always a problem. We’ve also got a couple dozen head of cattle. All we could do was cut open the fences and let them try to fend for themselves.

“It’s not a great plan but it’s all we could do really. Sometimes you just need a bit of luck in this situation. Well there’s always luck. But you just need good luck.”

Updated

Emergency warning for Creewah Road, Glen Allen

There is another emergency warning from the NSW RFS. This one is at Creewah Road at Glen Allen.

The RFS says the fire is spreading quickly towards the area of Tantawangalo Mountain Road. There is an immediate threat to homes in the area.

If you are in the area of Tantawangalo Mountain Road, you are at risk. Seek shelter as the fire approaches. Protect yourself from the heat of the fire by sheltering in a solid structure.

If you are in the areas of Creewah Road, New Line Road, Narrowness Road and Glen Allen area monitor conditions.

Updated

Mick and Karen Gallagher are fleeing their property just north of Bredbo. I run into them on a dirt road just off the Monaro Highway.

All around us the sky is orange. A new spot fire has just broken out to the south and is burning through grassland quickly. Smoke haze has rendered the mountains all but invisible.

Mick and Karen had planned to stay and fight as the Clear Range fire approached. But it was too much.

“I reckon our house would be gone,” Mick tells me.

Karen says they got as much out as they could. They packed up their two dogs and possessions and fled.

“It just changed so quickly,” Mick said. Embers were starting to fall.”

The pair have been in this part of the country for 14 years. “We’ve never seen it this bad,” Mick says.

For now, the pair are retreating to the safety of Canberra. The fate of their home will not be known for some time yet.

Updated

Cathy Bannister has sent us these photos she took last night from Black Mountain Tower in Canberra. They show the Orroral Valley fire burning near Tharwa.

The Orroral Valley fire near Tharwa from Black Mountain tower taken 31 January
The Orroral Valley fire near Tharwa from Black Mountain tower taken 31 January

Updated

Emergency warning for Clear Range fire, Monaro Highway closed

The NSW RFS has issued a warning that the Clear Range fire is now at emergency level.

This is one of the fires that began as spot fires from the Orroral Valley fire in the ACT.

Michelago and Colinton are under ember attack.

People in Michelago who are not prepared are advised to leave now towards Canberra.

If you are in Colinton, the advice is to leave now towards Cooma.

The Monaro Highway is now closed.

Updated

I’ve just arrived north of Bredbo, just over the ACT/NSW border. The hills here are blanketed in heavy smoke and an orange glow is coming from the east, where the Clear Range fire is burning.

The fire started as a spot fire from the major Orroral Valley fire in southern ACT. It is now its own fire and is burning out of control.

North-westerly winds are sending it eastward, towards the small town of Bredbo. The fire is still at watch and act level, but conditions are volatile and erratic. Authorities are warning us things could change at any point.

Updated

Mike Bowers says the Clear Range fire is spotting south and has broken out just west of Bredbo. “It’s a pretty dynamic fire at the moment and very hard to say what will happen, locals are nervous.”

A spot fire breaks out west of Bredbo from the Clear Range Fire along the Bumbalong Road on Saturday.
A spot fire breaks out west of Bredbo from the Clear Range fire along the Bumbalong Road on Saturday. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Here is the latest NSW RFS map on the predicted spread of fires in NSW today:

The ACT ESA commissioner, Georgeina Whelan, says the Orroral fire is “rapidly escalating” as the temperature increases today.

Spot fires continue to burn to the south and south-east and are expected to join up with the main fire later today.

She says containment options are in place between Tharwa village and Mt Tennent.

Rural residents should have their bushfire survival plans ready.

People in Tharwa and the southern suburbs of Banks, Gorton and surrounding areas need to monitor conditions closely and be ready to act should emergency services issue a warning.

No properties are under immediate threat in Canberra’s southern suburbs at this time.

But Whelan says the conditions will potentially become more dangerous and “the fire may pose a threat to lives directly in its path”.

Updated

The ACT chief minister, Andrew Barr, has given a press conference.

He gives another update on the size of the Orroral fire. It’s at 33,500 hectares.

“The north-westerly winds are pushing the fire south-east,” he says.

“It will also continue to burn slowly towards southern Tuggeranong. We’ve been aware of this risk for some time and a huge amount of work has gone into protecting lives and property.”

He stresses people should not travel south towards the fire. This includes driving towards reserves in the area and to remote swimming locations on the Murrumbidgee River. The advice is stay away.

Barr says it was “incredibly disappointing” police had to tell several people to leave the area last night.

Updated

Some more from that interview with Joe Murphy, from the ACT RFS.

He issued another warning to people engaging in “disaster tourism”. Do not do it. There are lots of trucks in the fire area and nearby residents have enough to worry about.

“What they don’t need is roads being clogged by people wanting to take a photo,” he says.

Updated

Orroral fire now more than 30,000 hectares, conditions due to worsen from midday

Joe Murphy, the chief officer of the ACT RFS, has given an update on the fire conditions to ABC Canberra.

The Orroral fire was at 21,000 hectares yesterday. It has grown substantially to 30,000 hectares.

It is travelling in a south-easterly direction, fanned by north-westerly winds, but has spread to the south, east and west.

“We have said this before the fire will continue to spread in most directions,” Murhpy says.

“The fire is expanding on most fronts.”

Interstate crews, the defence force and ambulance services are ready to assist local crews as conditions intensify this afternoon, with the fire expected to spread across the NSW border.

Murphy says winds are already picking up at Canberra airport and are expected to start affecting the fire ground from about midday. That is forecast to continue through to the evening.

He says this is the time for residents in areas that could be affected by fire today to inform themselves and know what their plan is.

“Leaving early is the safest option,” he says.

“I’m not saying right now Tuggeranong you need to leave. I’m saying you need to listen to the warnings and what’s going on ... so that you can make some decisions for your personal safety.”

Updated

Mike Bowers was also near the Orroral Valley fire last night. Here are his photos from that one, also near Michelago.

The Orroral Valley Fire burns towards the Monaro Highway at Michelago early yesterday evening.
The Orroral Valley fire burns towards the Monaro Highway at Michelago early yesterday evening. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
The Orroral Valley Fire burns towards the Monaro Highway at Michelago early yesterday evening.
The Orroral Valley Fire burns towards the Monaro Highway at Michelago early yesterday evening.
The Orroral Valley Fire burns towards the Monaro Highway at Michelago early yesterday evening.

Updated

From AAP:

The ACT chief minister, Andrew Barr, expects the territory’s bushfire state of emergency to remain in place throughout the weekend, faced with soaring temperatures, a forecast for storms and unpredictable wind changes.

The Orroral Valley bushfire in the south of the territory continues to burn, although it was downgraded to “watch and act” overnight, from emergency level.

“Today is the day of greatest concern,” Barr told the Nine Network on Saturday.

“But it is forecast to be still quite hot tomorrow [Sunday] and we are expecting some storms that could lead to quite unpredictable weather [with] wind changes.”

Barr said the state of emergency was expected to remain until at least Monday.

He said the ACT’s rural village of Tharwa, in the extreme south of the territory, remains of particular focus.

He said there has been a “tremendous preparing effort” to protect both heritage and properties in the area. But he warned “the winds are up, so the fire is awake.”

He said the winds are coming from the north-west so the fire is going to track towards NSW.

“This is a really big fire and it is expected to move across the ACT border into New South Wales,” he said.

At the same time, the fire is burning slowly to the north against the wind and approaching Tharwa, with spotting ahead of the fire. More than 10% of the territory has been burnt out by the bushfire.

The weather forecast for the ACT is for 40C-plus heat and gusty winds on Saturday, which the Bureau of Meteorology’s Dean Sgarbossa said along with gusty winds and dry conditions “will drive fire dangers into the severe area”.

However, he told ABC television humidity would increase throughout the day, which would cap fire danger heading into Sunday.

The bushfire conditions forecast for Saturday are being compared to those experienced in 2003, when four people died and hundreds of Canberra homes were razed.

Updated

Guardian Australia photographer Mike Bowers has been out on the Snowy Mountains/Monaro fire grounds again. Here are some photos he took last night of the sun setting over the Clear Range fire.

The sun sets on the Clear Range Fire west of Michelago in southern NSW.
The sun sets on the Clear Range Fire west of Michelago in southern NSW on Friday. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
The sun sets on the Clear Range Fire west of Michelago in southern NSW.
The sun sets on the Clear Range Fire west of Michelago in southern NSW.
The sun sets on the Clear Range Fire west of Michelago in southern NSW.
The sun sets on the Clear Range Fire west of Michelago in southern NSW.

And here is some more video, this time out of Victoria, where temperatures soared above 40C yesterday. Extreme temperatures are forecast again today.

This video gives a sense of the fire danger in southern Canberra this week. The time lapse video shows smoke behind houses in the southern district Tuggeranong on Friday.

The village of Tharwa in the ACT’s south is extremely close to the current bushfire. Residents there report there was a “lovely sunrise” this morning. Smoke is visible and the fire is moving to the east, they report.

Updated

The ACT emergency services agency commissioner Georgeina Whelan spoke to the media late last night about the current bushfire risk. AAP reports that she said there were significant dangers from the fire spread on Saturday.

“This does include potentially as far north as Tharwa and spotting close to the southern suburbs of Canberra, including Banks,” she said on Friday night.

Whelan said a “textbook” combination of dangerous fire conditions are forecast.

“It has been unpredictable. It remains challenging. It is difficult to access. This fire could create its own weather system,” she said.

“If all of what I have just outlined occurs, there is a chance this fire could break containment lines.”

The NSW Rural Fire Service says the Orroral Valley fire in the ACT has spotted and created potentially significant problems for the town of Bredbo.

Spot fires have taken hold to the north-west of Bredbo. The fire remains still to the west of the Murrumbidgee River, but with north-westerly winds forecast for today, there is a “significant risk” the fire will push into the area of Bredbo.

ACT Rural Fire Service incident controller Paul Flynn spoke to the ABC a little earlier this morning about the state of the Orroral Valley fire. He said conditions had eased last night and there was currently no immediate threat to property in Canberra suburbs. The area of concern appears to be to the fire’s south-east, across the border into NSW.

Overnight we expected to see, we hoped to see the fire calm down a bit, and for the most part it did calm down. however conditions remain very hot and dry overnight and the south-eastern corner of the fire did take a run in a south-easterly direction.

The south-eastern edge is quite active and does represent a significant risk to crews.

It has expanded considerably. It is about the 30,000 hectare mark now, which is quite a significant spread.

He said there are 16 aircraft currently helping to fight the fire.

There is still a significant risk of spotting and conditions will be “erratic and volatile”, he said. It was more likely than not that the fire would be upgraded back up to emergency level today.

ACT authorities have been forced to issue repeated warnings to residents engaged in “disaster tourism” in recent days. Residents have been driving to the city’s far south, pulling over on the side of the road, and taking pictures of the flames and smoke plume above the mountains.

Emergency services say this is hindering their ability to work in the area and creating unnecessary difficulty and confusion.

Temperatures soar across NSW and Victoria

Conditions are also potentially dangerous across other parts of NSW and Victoria today. Let’s take a brief look away from the ACT momentarily.

  • In NSW, there were 60 bush and grass fires burning at 7.30am this morning. Twenty-one were yet to be contained and two fires were at watch and act level, including the Canberra fire and the Big Jack Mountain fire east of Bombala
  • total fire bans were in place for the Illawarra and Shoalhaven region, the Far South Coast, the Monaro Alpine region, and the Southern and Central Ranges. The NSW Rural Fire Service is warning of widespread very high and severe fire dangers in southern NSW.
  • temperatures in western Sydney will soar to 46C in Richmond, and 44C in Blacktown, Camden and Campbelltown.
  • In Victoria, temperatures are set to reach 43C in towns like Albury-Wodonga, on the NSW border, and 41C in the state’s north and east in Gippsland.
  • There are four watch and act warnings for bushfires in the state, including for the Wulgulmerang, Cape Conran, Marlo/Tabbara, and the Bendoc fires.

Updated

This is the worst-case prediction for the fire spread in the ACT’s south today, and across the border in NSW. Authorities are warning embers could travel far ahead of the fire front and start spot fires.

Canberra bushfires: the current state of play

Let’s take a look at what we currently know about the Canberra bushfires.

  • Saturday is shaping up to be the worst conditions we’ve seen in Canberra during this dangerous 72-hour period, and since the 2003 tragedy, when hundreds of homes were destroyed and four people were killed. A combination of extreme heat, wind and a dry landscape will put the city’s southernmost suburbs like Banks, Gordon, and Conder at risk, particularly of ember attack. There is also a significant risk to towns across the NSW border to the east.
  • The forecast today is for temperatures of 42C and northwesterly winds of between 20-30km/h. Those winds will ease off later in the evening.
  • The Orroral Valley Fire is currently at a watch and act level, after being downgraded from emergency level last night. The fire is 28,658 hectares in size. It is still out-of-control and is burning to the east and south, across the NSW border, where it has become known as the Clear Range fire. Towns like Michelago across the border are now at risk of ember attack. Authorities are warning the bushfire conditions will become erratic and unpredictable, with spotting well ahead of the main fire front to the south, east, and west of the fire.
  • Rural residents in the ACT in the area of Apollo Road, Boboyan Road, north of the Glendale depot, Top Naas Road, south of the Boboyan Road intersection, and Corin Road are at particular risk from the bushfire and should monitor conditions closely.
  • A prediction map released by the ACT Emergency Services Agency shows a worst-case scenario of what we could see today. It shows the fire potentially increasing five times in size and spreading through towns like Michelago.
  • The village of Tharwa in the ACT’s far south is also preparing for a dangerous day. The ESA is warning people there to be vigilant as conditions worsen.

Good morning everyone, and welcome to our live coverage of what is expected to be an extremely dangerous day of bushfires in Canberra and parts of NSW.

We will see scorching temperatures and stronger winds in Canberra and large parts of NSW and Victoria. The Orroral Valley fire continues to burn out-of-control in the ACT and across the border into NSW, where it is threatening small rural towns like Michelago.

Stay with us. We’ll continue our coverage as conditions deteriorate today.

pic
Fire burns within sight of the suburban fringe of the city of Canberra on January 31, 2020 in Canberra, Australia. Photograph: Brook Mitchell/Getty Images

Updated

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