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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Ben Doherty, Helen Davidson and Ben Smee

Two dead, seven missing and at least 150 homes destroyed – as it happened

What we know

We’ll be closing this blog and returning tomorrow. Here’s where things stand at 6pm AEST.

  • Two people have died in the Kangawalla fire near Glen Innes. The ABC has identified one of the victims as Vivian Chaplain, 69, who relatives say died trying to defend her home. The other victim is yet to be identified.
  • Seven people are still unaccounted for and there are fears the death toll will rise as emergency services are able to access impacted areas.
  • At least 150 homes have been destroyed and there are concerns that schools, bridges and other infrastructure may have also been damaged or lost.
  • More than 1,300 people have fled their homes and are taking shelter in evacuation centres, according to the Red Cross.
  • There are more than 80 fires burning with about half of those uncontained. At 6pm there were five emergency warnings still in place in NSW.
  • Fires have also flared up in Western Australia today, with an emergency warning issued, and then downgraded, for a fire in the northern area of Gnangara in Perth’s north.
  • Prime minister Scott Morrison would not comment on Saturday whether he believed climate change had contributed to Australia’s unprecedented early-season fires, saying “my only thoughts today are with those who have lost their lives and their families, the firefighters who are fighting the fires [and] the response effort that has to be delivered.”
  • Conditions are expected to ease on Sunday but worsen again on Tuesday, when the NSW Rural Fire Service commissioner has warned hot and windy weather will create extreme fire danger again, for an even larger swathe of the state.

Thanks for following our coverage today.

Updated

Some relatively good news: the bushfire burning in Perth’s north has been brought under control, though not contained, amid warnings to residents that their lives and homes were at risk.

An emergency warning was issued for people in the northern area of Gnangara about 12.50pm for a blaze which began on Sydney Road.

The fire was downgraded to a “watch and act” warning level less than an hour later for the suburb’s south, meaning residents still need to leave or prepare to actively defend their homes.

The state’s Department of Fire and Emergency Services says the fire is moving in a southeasterly direction and is controlled but not contained.

It warned residents that burning embers are likely to be blown around their homes, heightening the risk of new fires amid changing winds.

A watch and act alert had also been issued for northern parts of Gidgegannup, northeast of Perth, but was downgraded to an advice within an hour as the fire was extinguished.

The NSW premier has appointed a recovery coordinator to oversee the state’s response to the bushfire emergency.

Euan Ferguson, who previously led the Victorian Country Fire Authority and South Australian Country Fire Service, will coordinate recovery efforts.

“It is already clear there has been extensive damage across vast areas and it is appropriate to appoint Mr Ferguson now to familiarise himself with the impacts as they develop,” Gladys Berejiklian said in a statement.

NSW RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons also warned people should brace themselves for a repeat of the extreme conditions that led to these bushfires on Tuesday, when hot and windy weather will return. And it will affect an even greater swathe of the state, including the greater Sydney region.

“We are expecting widespread, severe, extreme fire danger ratings,” he said.

“Unfortunately, yesterday’s fire danger was concentrated to the north-eastern quadrant of NSW. Unfortunately, come Tuesday, we will see severe and extreme by dangers not just in north-eastern NSW, right down through the greater Sydney environment, across the ranges, into the centre west, down through the Illawarra and the South Coast regions.

“So we’re talking about a much, much greater area of exposure to severe and extreme fire danger ratings as we head into next Tuesday.

“Given the amount of fire that we already have burning, it will be difficult enough, let alone anything new that might pop up between now and then or, indeed, Tuesday itself.”

'At least' 150 homes lost in NSW

The NSW Rural Fire Service commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons says the number of homes lost is now thought to be “at least 150” and there are five fires currently burning in NSW at emergency warning levels.

He says schools, power poles, bridges and other infrastructure in the north of NSW has also been hit by the bushfires.

Emergency warning in WA

It is not just Australia’s east coast dealing with a bushfire emergency today. A bushfire has broken out in suburban Perth, as extremely hot, dry and windy conditions lash Western Australia.

An emergency warning has been issued for people the northern area of Gnangara, where a fire began on Sydney Road, AAP reports.

“You are in danger and need to act immediately to survive. There is a threat to lives and homes,” the state’s Department of Fire and Emergency Services says.

A watch and act alert has also been issued for northern parts of Gidgegannup, a township 20km northeast of Perth.

That means residents need to leave or prepare to actively defend their homes.

More broadly, bushfire risks across WA have spiked with extremely hot, dry and windy conditions lashing the state.

Authorities have warned people throughout the state to be prepared for bushfires as temperatures soar to 40C in Perth.

Updated

ABC names first victim of Glen Innes fire

The ABC is reporting that one of the people killed in the Glen Innes fire is 69-year-old Vivian Chaplain from Wytaliba.

The ABC reports:

A relative of Ms Chaplain said she died while trying to protect her home at Wytaliba, north west of Coffs Harbour on the NSW north coast.

Her daughter-in-law, Chrystal Harwood, said the 69-year-old would be “greatly missed” by her two children and six grandchildren.

“She was a strong woman who died protecting the home and animals she loved,” she said.

“The loss of her has devastated our family there was nothing we could do.

“She was stuck and we couldn’t get to her.”

The Guardian is seeking to confirm this independently.

Updated

What we know so far ...

  • Two people have died in the Kangawalla fire near Glen Innes and five other people remain unaccounted for in that area. One body was found in a burnt-out car near Diehard. Another woman, who was found in Diehard unconscious and suffering burns to 40%-50% of her body, died in a Sydney hospital.
  • The prime minister, Scott Morrison, has said: “Sadly, we have lost two Australians and I fear that we will lose more.”
  • At least 30 people have been injured.
  • There are more than 80 fires burning across Queensland and NSW. Three fires in NSW remain at emergency level and one fire in Queensland is at emergency level.
  • Fire authorities say that it is unprecedented for so many fires to be burning at once – at one stage on Friday 99 fires were burning simultaneously, including 17 at emergency level – and have said that conditions will worsen again early next week.
  • The NSW Rural Fire Services commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, warned: “We have got the worst of our fire season still ahead of us. We’re not even in summer yet”.
  • Morrison avoided questions about the contribution of climate change to the fire crisis, saying his thoughts were with those who had lost loved ones and homes, but a NSW mayor, Carol Sparks, who likely lost her house in a blaze, said: “We are so impacted by drought and the lack of rain. It’s climate change, there’s no doubt about it. The whole of the country is going to be affected. We need to take a serious look at our future.”

Updated

Firefighters work to contain a bushfire along Old Bar Road in Old Bar, NSW
Firefighters work to contain a bushfire along Old Bar Road in Old Bar, NSW. Photograph: Darren Pateman/AAP
A satellite showing a build-up of smoke and heat over NSW
A satellite showing a build-up of smoke and heat over NSW. Photograph: Joint Polar Satellite System Jpss/PR IMAGE
Firefighters near blazes at Lake Cooroibah Road and Jirrimah Crescent in Cooroibah in Noosa shire, Queensland
Firefighters near blazes at Lake Cooroibah Road and Jirrimah Crescent in Cooroibah in Noosa shire, Queensland. Photograph: Rob Maccoll/AAP
Bushfires are seen looking north from Forster, NSW
Bushfires are seen looking north from Forster, NSW. Photograph: Shane Chalker/AAP
Firefighters work to contain a bushfire along Old Bar Road in Old Bar, NSW
Firefighters work to contain a bushfire along Old Bar Road in Old Bar, NSW. Photograph: Darren Pateman/AAP

Updated

These aerial shots give you an idea of the fires’ devastation. This is the Kangawalla fire near Glen Innes that claimed two lives. Five people from the area are understood to be missing still.

The mayor of Glen Innes Severn council has said her community has been “devastated” by the fire that has claimed two lives and razed an unknown number of houses, and she has warned that all of Australia is at risk from dangerous climate change.

Mayor Carol Sparks was evacuated as the Kangawalla fire, east of Glen Innes, burned out of control on Friday. She said her home was likely destroyed – along with those of her neighbours – “but I’m not going to believe it until I see it”, she said.

Sparks said her thoughts were with the families of those who had died and others who are missing.

The mayor said the small community of about 100 people was in shock, with five people having suffered burns. Some people stayed as the firestorm bore down, and managed to save their properties.

“The worst thing is that we have lost family and friends and we are all very upset.

“Everybody knows each other and there are people missing that we haven’t able to contact. It’s very worrying.”

Sparks said she held no doubts global warming was increasing the number and intensity of fires across Australia.

“We are so impacted by drought and the lack of rain,” she said.

“It’s climate change, there’s no doubt about it. The whole of the country is going to be affected. We need to take a serious look at our future.”

The prime minister, Scott Morrison, was asked on Saturday whether this year’s unprecedented early-season fires were linked to climate change.

“My only thoughts today are with those who have lost their lives and their families, the firefighters who are fighting the fires [and] the response effort that has to be delivered,” he replied.

Updated

This amazing image shows the NSW Mid North Coast from the air, taken from a flight from Sydney to Brisbane.

ABC News has interviewed a Bora Ridge resident, Doug Wood, who has had a tragic night, losing his home.

Wood told the ABC he walked outside his house and could smell smoke, and went and alerted his wife.

They went outside and could see a plume of smoke near where his brother lived across the road.

“We zoomed down the back of his place. The fire was there, but it was coming towards us so we drove back up about 2km and by the time we got up there it was into our place,” he said.

“I live next door to my parents, we saved Mum and Dad’s place and the people across the road’s house, but we couldn’t save ours.”

Wood, a former group captain in the RFS said it was probably one of the worst he’d ever seen in his life.

“We were on our own. There were no helicopters or anything. We just did our best. We saved mum and dad’s house, so at least we have somewhere to stay.”

Updated

This is what fireys are facing. There is a language warning on this video (not unjustified). Posted by the crew from NSW Fire and Rescue Station 353 in Kincumber on Friday. Fighting the fire at Harrington. Extraordinary.

NSW police have confirmed that at least two people have been killed by fires in the state (both died in the fire near Glen Innes). But there appears to be some confusion about how many people are missing. Earlier, authorities said seven people were missing, but more recent reports have suggested five. NSW police, however, will only say “a number remain unaccounted for”. Roads remain cut, and some towns hit by the fires remain inaccessible. Phone coverage is poor across much of the fire-affected areas.

Updated

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services is warning residents of the Sunshine Coast that a “large fast-moving” bushfire that may threaten lives is approaching homes in Cooroibah and Ringtail Creek.

“Leaving immediately is the safest option, as it will soon be too dangerous to drive,” the QFES said in a statement.

“Follow your bushfire survival plan now. If you do not have a plan, your safest option is to leave immediately if it is clear to do so. If you cannot leave, identify where you will seek shelter from the bushfire. If you are not in the area, do not return, as conditions are too dangerous.”

The fire is expected to threaten houses and firefighters have warned that they may not be able to reach people who choose to stay. Emergency warnings are being broadcast across the region.

“Conditions are now very dangerous and firefighters may soon be unable to prevent the fire advancing. The fire may pose a threat to all lives directly in its path. Fire crews may not be able to protect your property. You should not expect a firefighter at your door: act now.

“Power, water, and mobile phone service may be lost and road conditions may become very dangerous over the next several hours.”

Updated

There have been a few questions to the PM, including one about the ferocity of these early fires and links to climate change.

“My only thoughts today are those who lost their lives and their families, the firefighters fighting the fires, the response effort that has to be delivered, and how the the Commonwealth can support those efforts,” he replied.

He said Australia had been “battling ferocious fires for as long as Australia has been a nation and well before,” he said.

He said Australians all had to brace themselves for the fire season, and he feared there would be more deaths confirmed before the day was out.

“We always have to listen carefully to the warnings, and undertake the preparations that are advised in every single season. I think that Australians increasingly understand that and I would be encouraging them to revisit their fire preparation plans. The fire might be on your doorstep today, but as we go into every fire season and every summer season, the risk is ever present, and it’s important that families understand what the evacuation procedures are. What numbers to call. What things to ready themselves with, and how they can best prepare their properties in the event of a firestorm.

Updated

Prime minister Scott Morrison is speaking now – and he’s flagged a “contingency option” of further involvement of the defence forces.

He said the deployment of ADF – beyond the airlifts they’re already doing – hadn’t been requested yet, but he and relevant ministers were discussing having them ready.

“I convened this morning with ministers with direct operational responsibility ... and the ADF is presenting options on callouts of reservists as may be necessary,” he said.

That would likely involve building fire breaks away from fire fronts, and providing accommodation and logistics to assist the state agencies working on the frontline.

“Our defence forces are not trained firefighters,” he stressed.

“The ADF can provide a lot of support in logistics and other areas as required.”

Morrison has thanked services responding to the emergencies, and also warned that similar conditions were expected in WA over the next few days.

Three WA regions were expected to go to “catastrophic” warnings, and resources would be made available.

“The sad truth is we’ve had far too much practice and deployments in these areas but the lessons learned ... have ensured the coordination and response is very swift.”

He also said emergency service payments for people affected would be mobilised over the weekend – $1,000 per adult and $400 per child.

Smoke is seen in the distance near Tuncurry, NSW.
Smoke is seen in the distance near Tuncurry, NSW, November 9, 2019. At least 100 homes have been lost in NSW’s North, with about 80 fires still burning around the state. (AAP Image/Shane Chalker) NO ARCHIVING Photograph: Shane Chalker/AAP

Updated

Greg Allan, spokesman for the NSW rural fire service, has given us a quick update on the resources out there fighting the 81 bush and grass fires across the state.

There are more than 1,200 RFS firefighters, more than 300 vehicles, and more than 60 aircraft including two large air tankers.

That’s including local crews, but there are also out-of-areas crews and interstate agencies assisting, as well as NSW fire and rescue, the national parks and wildlife service, and forestry.

Updated

In the north of NSW, 164 minimum security inmates were evacuated from Glenn Innes prison to Grafton, according to the department of corrections.

There are stock losses and at least 10 homes as well as bridges lost in the Nambucca valley, the mayor of the shire, Rhonda Hoban, has said. The Kian road fire has gone through more than 14,000 hectares and is at a watch and act level.

Hoban has asked for people living near the fireground areas to do what they need to do while they can and get out. The rest of the community to stay away from the fireground areas. She said mobile services and electricity was out for hundreds of people.

Updated

At the moment in NSW there are two emergency level fires – at Hillville and Stockyard Flat – and 14 at the watch and act level.

In Queensland, there is one emergency fire at Cooroibah and three watch and act.

There are still dozens of fires burning across both states.

That out-of-control Hillville fire, south of Taree, has gone through more than 12,300 hectares so far, and local ABC radio reported just few minutes ago that it has reached the coastline at Diamond Beach.

Club Old Bar on the mid north coast has been set up as a safe neighbourhood space, as the large fire approaches the coastal town. There’s about 320 people there, and organisers are expecting more.

The mid north coast mayor has just told the ABC the surf club had been sheltering people but it was recently evacuated.

Updated

There are about 800 firefighters and support crew from interstate and New Zealand who have come to help fight NSW’s fires.

We’re also hearing from on the ground that new roads are being closed as fires shift direction. Monitor local broadcasters and please obey the signs.

Updated

'We have got the worst of our fire season still ahead of us. We're not even in summer yet.'

NSW Rural Fire Service commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons reiterated that the forecast for next week – Tuesday in particular – was dire, and that the outlook for the summer beyond was potentially catastrophic. He said the long-running drought in NSW had left the state tinder-dry and dangerously flammable.

Not only is it about next week, but, unfortunately, the forecast for the balance of the season continues to be driven by above-normal temperatures, below-average rainfall, to dominate over the coming months. If you put that across this extremely drought-stricken landscape, where you have no moisture in the ground ... a flammability of the fuel which is seeing extraordinary fire behaviour, fire spreading and burning very intensely, very aggressively … with spot fire activity doubling or tripling what would normally be expected in the conditions that we have been experiencing.

The flammability, the lack of moisture in the vegetation, is making it so susceptible to ignition, that many embers are leading well ahead of the main fire front, taking hold, starting fires, and rapidly accelerating the movement of fire across the landscape and into different communities.

The risk is real, the risk is here, the consequences are absolutely apparent and evident over the last few weeks and particularly highlighted in the last 24 hours. We have got the worst of our fire season still ahead of us. We’re not even in summer yet.

Updated

A very shaken mayor of the mid north council, David West, has just called in to local ABC radio.

He says it’s “not a good morning at all”, but he is floored by the outpouring of support from people, offering homes and rooms for accommodation.

“I’m so immensely proud of people putting their lives on the line to assist us to survive,” he said.

“The numbers are horrendous. We’ve got over 580 people registered at Club Taree [evacuation centre], 170 at the Tuncurry bowling club, and at Old Bar 80 people are registered.”

He said the Telstra service was failing and 1,000 people – mostly in rural areas – were without power.

“I’ve never seen fires like this in my life,” West says. “When I look at the fire website, and the Hillville fire, progressing to the coast and Old Bar and Diamond Beach, these are heavily populated areas, heavily timbered areas.

“This state is burning.”

West urged people to listen to firefighters and police, and leave their homes if they’d been so advised.

“If they say get out, please leave. Homes can be replaced … life can’t be replaced.”

Updated

Two people dead and seven unaccounted for

The ferocity of yesterday’s fires, and the extent of the tragedy, is only now becoming apparent.

The NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, has confirmed two people are dead as the state’s bushfire emergency extends into a second day. Seven people are unaccounted for.

Berejiklian warned the death toll could rise and new fire grounds were accessed this morning: “I’m sorry to say that number could increase during the day.”

The first person’s body found was in a burnt-out car in the Kangawalla fire, near Glen Innes.

The second death was of a woman found at the same fire last night, unconscious and with burns to 40-50% of her body. Despite CPR from fire and ambulance crews and treatment in hospital, she died this morning.

The deaths are not considered related. The seven people missing are also from the same fire.

NSW RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said “we could see more casualty and more loss as the details unfold”. He said the RFS had received many messages from people trapped by fire but simply could not reach them. Bridges, schools, power infrastructure have all been destroyed, Fitzsimmons said.

Updated

The Kangawalla fire, in which the body of a person trapped in a burnt-out car this morning, has eased. The fire remains at Watch and Act.

This week, 11,000 climate scientists warned of ‘untold suffering’ as a result of the climate crisis.

The prime minister:

Updated

The remains of the residence at Four Paws boarding kennels smoulders along the Pacific Highway, south of Taree, on Saturday morning
The remains of the residence at Four Paws boarding kennels smoulders along the Pacific Highway, south of Taree, on Saturday morning. Photograph: Darren Pateman/AAP
NSW Rural Fire Service firefighters as a bushfire burns close to homes on Railway Parade in Woodford NSW overnight
NSW Rural Fire Service firefighters as a bushfire burns close to homes on Railway Parade in Woodford NSW overnight. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
The remains of a B Double trailer smoulders on the Pacific Highway south of Taree
The remains of a B Double trailer smoulders on the Pacific Highway south of Taree. Photograph: Darren Pateman/AAP

AAP reports:

Thousands of people were evacuated from Noosa overnight with suburbs remaining cut off as a bushfire rages out of control.

Tewantin, in Noosa’s north, is cut off and there are concerns spot fires could cause more havoc as temperatures rise throughout the day.

Roughly 2,000 people were evacuated from Tewantin and Noosa North Shore on Friday afternoon and into the night, independent Noosa MP Sandy Bolton said.

They sought shelter at local showgrounds, sporting facilities and church outreach centres.

One firefighter broke their leg and a home has been destroyed at Cooroibah.

It is understood the fire started at Cooroibah before jumping the river to Teewah and creeping towards Tewantin.

The Tewantin fire is one of three major fires burning in Queensland, with crews also fighting blazes at Lower Beechmont in the Gold Coast hinterland and at Thornton in the Lockyer Valley.

A severe fire danger is in place for the coastal and adjacent inland areas from Gympie to Ingham, and in the northern goldfields including Charters Towers, Julia Creek and Georgetown.

Authorities said 37 fires were burning across Queensland as of Saturday morning.

Updated

Homes near Old Bar and Wallabi Point, right on the coast south of the Manning River (between Forster and Port Macquarie) are in imminent danger ...

Updated

Terrifyingly prescient ...

Updated

This is from the Kangawalla fire in northern NSW, where a person’s body was found in a burnt-out car this morning.

Rogers said an RFS firetruck was overrun by flames and destroyed on Friday. The firefighters inside survived, but have been taken to hospital suffering smoke inhalation.

He said at least 35 people had been injured, including 16 firefighters.

“There’s a whole range of injuries and some are quite serious - bad smoke inhalation, heart attacks and burns.”

Rogers said conditions were likely to deteriorate again early next week.

“The big concern is getting as much containment [work done as possible] ahead of Tuesday, where there’s really bad conditions expected, potentially as bad as yesterday.

“There’s a huge amount of work today in working out what was lost yesterday, making sure that anyone who is hurt is getting help.”

Koalas killed in fires

NSW Rural Fire Service deputy commissioner Rob Rogers said there had been reports of “a significant loss of koalas” in the northern NSW fires.

“They’re not very quick animals, they are very vulnerable. It’s devastating,” he told Sky News on Saturday morning.

“Where you’d normally have a fire and animals move out of the way, unfortunately in some cases they are moving into the path of another fire.”

He said in addition to native species, domestic and farm animals had likely been lost too.

“We’re going to be counting the cost of the fire for a while, and it’s going to be a pretty high cost.”

Updated

There are a suite of road closures across northern NSW because of fires. The situation on fire grounds is still unpredictable so these can change quickly. Please check latest updates if you are travelling in bushfire-affected areas...

This is not an exhaustive list, and these do change quickly. Check before you get on the roads...

NSW Rural Fire Service commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said at least 100 homes had been destroyed in fires, but warned “we are expecting that number to climb”.

We need to prepare ourselves for that number to climb potentially quite significantly because there are lots of … heavily impacted fire grounds where we simply haven’t been able to get people in to undertake even an initial assessment.

He said 40 fires were continuing to burn uncontained, and that fire crews were working to assess whether any people were still trapped in their homes by fire.

We don’t know. We are not aware of anybody being trapped. We are trying to access all the fire ground areas. Some areas yesterday, we simply could not get in.

Fitzsimmons said Friday’s fires were unprecedented in the sheer number of blazes requiring firefighting resources.

In years gone by, you would find one, two, three fires burning at once that were commanding so much attention and doing so much of the damage. But what we saw yesterday was 99 fires burning. Seventeen of those at once were at ‘emergency’ warning level. Another nine of those were at ‘watch and act’ alert level at the same time. We had 1,300 firefighters and emergency workers trying to get in and do the very best they could.

Updated

There are some more details on the death of a person in the Kangawalla fire near Glen Innes. The person’s body was found in a burnt-out car this morning. Shane Fitzsimmons, commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service, told the ABC:

One of our senior volunteer commanders surveying and seeking to identify unaccounted-for people has come across a burnt-out vehicle and the remains of somebody has been located inside that vehicle. Clearly, that’s very distressing and our thoughts and prayers to those that are affected and particularly the family and loved ones of the occupant of this vehicle. The matter will be managed by the police and a more forensic assessment and identification process will be under taken to confirm exactly who has been located.

The Kangawalla fire, where the body of one person has been found in a car, remains an ongoing threat.

The size and speed of Friday’s fires is evident from these satellite shots.

One person has been found dead

The NSW Rural Fire Service has confirmed one person has been found dead in the fires in northern NSW.

“Firefighters have located the remains of a person in a vehicle at the Kangawalla fire, near Glen Innes. Two people remain unaccounted for after yesterday’s bushfires. NSW RFS is working with NSW police,” RFS said in a statement.

More details to follow.

Updated

Conditions will deteriorate again next week

The NSW Rural Fire Service commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, has told the ABC that while conditions have eased a little on Saturday morning, conditions will worsen again early next week.

Unfortunately, we’re not expecting any rain. What we need is lots of rain. We need inches of rain and we’re simply not getting that. Over the next couple of days we’re still expecting dry conditions to dominate. Yes, the temperatures have backed off but we’re still seeing breezy conditions. As we head into particularly Tuesday, the early indications I’ve seen is we’re expecting another day of difficult fire danger conditions. We’re probably expecting widespread total fire bans again, as a result of severe and extreme fire danger. But unfortunately the early indications I’m seeing is that we’re expecting a much larger geographic area across New South Wales to be affected by that worsening weather conditions as we head into early next week. Beyond that, as the news reports are indicating, we’re expecting a cyclical pattern of weather, week after week after week, of increased, elevated fire dangers to come and go.

The longer-range forecast for summer is also not good.

Unfortunately over the coming months, there’s no signal for rain, but quite the opposite: above-average temperatures, below-average rainfall. We haven’t got into the worst of our traditional fire danger period yet. Summer is only around the corner.

Updated

Fires continue to burn out of control

Good morning, we will be following the continuing fire crises across the country throughout the day. For those in fire-affected areas, please listen to your local emergency broadcaster, and follow instructions from fire crews and authorities. There are multiple warnings still current and the situation remains volatile. See online updates for New South Wales and Queensland.

What we know so far:

  • The NSW Rural Fire Service has confirmed there are people unaccounted for from the Rappville fire in northern NSW.
  • There have been multiple reports of people trapped in their homes by blazes.
  • 30 people have been injured, including 19 firefighters
  • At the peak of the crisis on Friday, 17 bushfires were burning at emergency level yesterday: 50 more were burning out of control, fanned by hot and windy conditions.
  • Conditions have eased Saturday, but a wind change is expected to bring strong winds and could push fires in new directions. Conditions are expected to again deteriorate next week.
  • “We are still seeing erratic and dangerous fire behaviour across the remainder of fire grounds, which continues to pose a threat to homes,” the RFS said.

Updated

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