– Australia bushfires: New South Wales declares state of emergency (BBC News, Oct 20, 2013):
The fires have already destroyed at least 200 homes, as Jon Donnison reports
A state of emergency has been declared in New South Wales as Australian firefighters battle bushfires that have already destroyed more than 200 homes.
The announcement comes as conditions look set to deteriorate with soaring temperatures and strong winds expected to fan the flames in the coming days.
The Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, has been the worst-hit region with some fires still raging out of control.
State officials say they are the most dangerous conditions in 40 years.
New South Wales Premier Barry O’Farrell said the declaration would give emergency services additional powers over the next 30 days which could include cutting gas and power supplies if needed.
After several cooler days giving firefighters some respite, hot weather has returned with temperatures expected to rise. The coming week will be difficult and dangerous. Hopes of rain seem to have vanished.Predicted high winds pose a particular threat allowing fires to jump containment lines.
The state of emergency will allow authorities to force people to leave their homes if necessary. Many will not know what they’ll find when they get to return. Hundreds have already lost everything.
People here are well used to living with the threat of bushfires but not so early in the season. It’s not even summer here yet.
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology recently announced the past year was the country’s hottest on record. It’s leading some to ask the inevitable questions about the impact of climate change.
“We’re planning for the worst but hoping for the best,” he said.
Hundreds of people have been left homeless by the bushfires and one man has died – possibly of a heart attack – while trying to protect his home.
Officials have warned that the three main bushfires – two in the Blue Mountains and one near the town of Lithgow – could become one huge fire in the coming days, possibly threatening Sydney.
A fire service spokesman said: “We can understand the magnitude of that as it would then creep into the bottom end of Sydney. It’s certainly something that we’re very concerned about.”
The foot of the Blue Mountains lies just across the Nepean River from the suburbs of Sydney. Some embers jumped its banks last Thursday, starting a fire at Castlereagh near Penrith.
After several cooler days, forecasters are predicting the return of unseasonably hot weather – with temperatures reaching 30C (86F) and higher.
“We are likely to see deteriorating conditions starting this afternoon (Sunday) as we’ve already been acutely aware of, but more so as we move into Monday and Tuesday,” Rural Fire Service commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said.
The worst of the weather would probably culminate on Wednesday, he added, but there would be little relief in the intervening period.
“We’ve got what would be unparalleled in terms of risk and exposure to the Blue Mountains throughout this week. If you are to draw a parallel, and it’s always dangerous to draw a parallel, at best you’d be going back to time periods in the late 60s.
“The reality is, however, these conditions that we’re looking at are a whole new ball game and in a league of their own,” the commissioner said.
Mr O’Farrell said crews had carried out controlled burn operations overnight to strengthen buffer zones around the major fires.
An emergency warning was issued for the Blue Mountains village of Bell on Sunday morning.
Residents were urged to evacuate or to take shelter “in a solid structure when the fire front arrives”.