Bring To An End By Using Bushfire As Queensland

Several towns have been cut off and residents have been told it is too late to leave after an out-of-control bushfire burning in the New South Wales’ Shoalhaven region was whipped up by strong and gusty winds on Monday, prompting an emergency warning.

The fire north of Batemans Bay has burnt through more than 16,000 hectares and was spreading quickly in a north-easterly direction on Monday afternoon towards the area of Termeil.

About Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. It is the largest country in Oceania and the world’s sixth-largest country by total area.

The neighboring countries are Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and East Timor to the north; the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu to the northeast, and New Zealand to the southeast The population of 26 million is highly urbanized and heavily concentrated on the eastern seaboard. Australia’s capital is Canberra, and its largest city is Sydney. The country’s other major metropolitan areas are Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide.

Indigenous Australians inhabited the continent for about 65,000 years before European discovery with the arrival of Dutch explorers in the early 17th century, who named it New Holland. In 1770, Australia’s eastern half was claimed by Great Britain and initially settled through penal transportation to the colony of New South Wales from 26 January 1788, a date which became Australia’s national day.

The population grew steadily in subsequent decades, and by the time of the 1850s gold rush, most of the continent had been explored and an additional five self-governing crown colonies established. On 1 January 1901, the six colonies federated, forming the Commonwealth of Australia. Australia has since maintained a stable liberal democratic political system that functions as a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy, comprising six states and ten territories.

Being the oldest, flattest,t and driest inhabited continent, with the least fertile soils, Australia has a landmass of 7,617,930 square kilometers (2,941,300 sq mi). A megadiverse country, its size gives it a wide variety of landscapes, with deserts in the center, tropical rainforests in the northeast, and mountain ranges in the southeast. Its population density, 2.8 inhabitants per square kilometer, remains among the lowest in the world.

Australia generates its income from various sources including mining-related exports, telecommunications, banking, and manufacturing. Australia is a highly developed country, with the world’s 14th-largest economy.

It has a high-income economy, with the world’s tenth highest per capita income. It is a regional power and has the world’s 13th-highest military expenditure. Australia has the world’s eighth-largest immigrant population, with immigrants accounting for 29% of the population.

Having the third-highest human development index and the eighth-highest ranked democracy globally, the country ranks highly in quality of life, health, education, economic freedom, civil liberties, and political rights, with all its major cities faring well in global comparative livability surveys.

Australia is a member of the United Nations, G20, Commonwealth of Nations, ANZUS, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), World Trade Organization, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, Pacific Islands Forum, and the ASEAN Plus Six mechanism.

Australia fires: NSW towns cut off by bushfire as Queensland …

About fires:

The Princes Highway was closed between Termeil and the Kings Highway turnoff, cutting access to coastal communities in the area.

The Rural Fire Service NSW warned those living in areas between Kioloa and North Durras, including Depot Beach, Pebbly Beach, Pretty Beach, and Bawley Point, that it was too late to leave.

Australia fires: NSW towns cut off by bushfire as Queensland …

There is also a significant amount of smoke in the area.

“Fire activity increased over the evening due to strong westerly winds,” the Rural Fire Service said in an emergency warning.

“Firefighters are working in the area to protect properties where possible. Seek shelter as the fire impacts. It is too late to leave.”

Two million hectares of land have been burnt since July in more than 7,000 fires that have raged across NSW in the “most challenging bushfire season ever”.

Six lives have been lost while 673 homes and 1,400 other buildings have been destroyed.

Three “watch and act” alerts were also in place on Monday morning at Ruined Castle, south of Katoomba in the NSW Blue Mountains, and two nearby in the Lake Burragorang area.

The fire at Ruined Castle was under control on Monday morning, but slowly burning in a northern direction towards Cliff Drive, at Katoomba’s southern edge. Those around Cliff Drive were told to monitor for spot fires.

A total fire ban was issued for Monday across the far north coast, Greater Hunter, and New England regions due to forecast hot and windy conditions.

“While it’s expected to be cooler tomorrow, it’s going to be very windy in many areas,” the RFS tweeted.

“This will present challenging conditions for several days with so many fires.”

Air quality in southwest Sydney, meanwhile, was declared hazardous, with those suffering heart or lung problems recommended to stay indoors.

Residents were told to evacuate in Qld

Queensland residents at Narangba, just north of Brisbane, are being urged to leave an area threatened by bushfires.

Firefighters say a fast-moving blaze is threatening properties on Alf Dobson Road between Schultz Road, Raynbird Road, and Phillip Road. Residents should leave the area along Alf Dobson Road in any direction while it is still clear to do so.

The same blaze is also threatening Narangba Heights Estate.

Queensland Fire and Rescue said the fire is expected to affect visibility and air quality in the area.

Residents in Woodgate, south of Bundaberg in Queensland, have also been told to leave as a nearby bushfire worsens.

A fast-moving grass fire near Jarretts Road is traveling northwest and is expected to impact the area between Heidkes Road to the end of Jarretts Road, bordered by the Gregory River.

Dry and windy conditions have pushed the fire danger rating to severe in parts of southern Queensland, as more than 50 fires burn across the state.

Brisbane meteorologist David Crock said the weather on Monday is a repeat of the conditions experienced four or five times since the start of the fire season in September.

“That combination of hot, dry, and windy weather is the worst fire weather that we see, so the fire agencies and firefighters are certainly up against it today,” he said.

The severe fire danger warning is in place on Monday for the southeast coast, Wide Bay and Burnett region, Darling Downs and Granite Belt, Capricornia and Central Highlands, and Coalfields.

Residents living in the vicinity of a concerning bushfire, burning north of Toowoomba, have been told to prepare to leave their homes as conditions could get worse quickly.

High temperatures are expected in far north Queensland early this week before pushing south, bringing maximums of around 40C in areas like the Lockyer Valley and Scenic Rim by the end of the week.

The Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast could experience temperatures of 35C, while in Brisbane it could reach 37C on Friday.

Support worker dies in Victoria

In Victoria a man was killed fighting a fire in the Gippsland region, authorities confirmed on Monday.

The support worker died late Saturday at the fires near Gelantipy, chief fire officer for Forest Fire Management Victoria, Chris Hardman said.

“Tragically, a man working in support of our firefighter activities near Gelantipy died late Saturday. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and workmates,” he said in a statement.

Victoria Police were preparing a report for the coroner on Monday and WorkSafe was also investigating.

In Western Australia, an Indigenous community in the state’s north was being threatened by a bushfire on Monday.

A “watch and act” alert was issued for Coconut Wells north of Broome on Sunday and remained in place on Monday morning.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services said the cause of the fire, which has burnt 7,500 hectares, was not known.

If you are in a bushfire-affected area stay tuned to your local emergency broadcaster. Full alerts can be found here for NSW and here for Queensland.