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Fire danger rating in parts of NSW rises to severe as hot, dry, windy conditions end a brief reprieve of bushfire-hit areas of Australia

This article is more than 10 months old

This article is more than 10 months old

A fresh emergency warning was issued for the Hawkesbury on Sydney’s outskirts on Friday for a fast-moving fire, as hot, dry and windy conditions returned to bushfire-hit areas of New South Wales.

The warning was issued for a persistent 80,000-hectare blaze at Gospers Mountain, which was burning in the direction of Colo Heights. Those in the town should leave immediately towards Wilberforce, the Rural Fire Service warned.

NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) The Gospers Mountain fire is burning in the Hawkesbury area and is spreading very quickly. Spot fires are starting ahead of the main fire. The Large Air Tanker is working in the area to protect properties. #nswrfs #nswfires pic.twitter.com/Bu5ftgKd52

It was one of four emergency warnings issued on Friday afternoon in NSW.

Residents of the town of Ebor, near Armidale were warned just after 2.30pm AEDT to “seek shelter as the fire front arrives” due to a large bushfire. The fire was downgraded to watch and act level later on Friday.

A third emergency warning, for the Carrai East fire near Kempsey, was issued at 3.15pm AEDT. The RFS said the bushfire has broken containment lines on the northern side and was burning in the Mines Road area, towards Temagog. The fire was also downgraded to watch and act early on Friday evening.

The fourth warning was was for an out of control fire in Richmond Valley in the state’s north, burning in the area of Bungawalbin and New Italy.

In Queensland, residents are evacuating from the path of a fast-moving bushfire in the Pechey forest raging towards Ravensbourne.

Fire crews and water bombers are attacking the blaze north of Toowoomba that has sparked an emergency warning for people to get out because it will soon be too dangerous to leave.

On Friday afternoon it was racing from Grapetree Road at Peachey towards Ravensbourne. The dangerous fire is expected to impact Purtill Road, Garvey Road, Ravensbourne Tip Road, Mount Jockey Road and McQuillan Road. People leaving the area should head southwest along Esk Hampton Road towards Toowoomba.

Warnings remain in place for residents of Woodgate and nearby Kinkuna Waters, south of Bundaberg.

A worrying fire at Thornside, west of Gympie, has been downgraded to watch and act.

The Cobraball fire near Yeppoon in central Queensland continues to worry authorities given the difficult weather conditions expected in coming days.

The blaze, which destroyed 15 of the 16 homes lost in Queensland over the past week, is 90 per cent contained but that could change when high winds arrive.

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Damage assessments were continuing, with Queensland Fire and Emergency Services saying the number of homes lost could rise.

But QFES assistant commissioner Tony Johnstone said crews had done a remarkable job protecting property.

“It’s really hard to say how many houses we’ve saved but I’d say in excess of 300 or 400,” he told ABC radio.

Temperatures to soar over weekend

Temperatures near major fire grounds are expected to soar beyond 30C on Friday and into the weekend.

Almost all of Queensland was expecting high or very high fire danger on Friday and there was a chance of severe thunderstorms in the south-east that were forecast to produce little rain.

The drought-stricken Darling Downs and Granite Belt region, west of Brisbane, was facing severe fire danger for at least the next three days.

Former QFES commissioner Lee Johnson is among 23 fire and emergency services leaders who have demanded urgent federal action to phase out fossil fuels that are driving climate change and elevating Australia’s bushfire risks.

He said cyclones and floods – not fires – had always been Queensland’s primary threats, but that was changing.

“In my 40 years’ experience I don’t recall ever losing this amount of property at the start of a fire season, and it’s not over yet. Something has changed and it’s not good,” he told ABC radio on Friday.

Noosa mayor Tony Wellington said his constituents were angry and frustrated that a lack of action on climate change had left them facing unprecedented fire threats.

He said councils needed extra funding for dedicated disaster management staff.

“At the moment our local disaster controller is simply one of our key staff – one of our executive directors,” he told the ABC.

“For the last two weeks in particular, but also over the last two months, they haven’t been able to carry on with their regular duties because they’re dealing with fire issues.”

NSW conditions worsen

The Rural Fire Service NSW on Friday morning confirmed more than 250 homes had been destroyed since the previous Friday, with almost 90 damaged. Some 480 outbuildings and 18 facilities have also been razed.

While conditions eased following a “catastrophic” danger rating earlier in the week, the forecast of hot, dry weather once again posed a threat on Friday.

A severe fire danger rating was in place for the far north coast, north coast, Greater Hunter, Greater Sydney Region and Illawarra-Shoalhaven, and large parts of the state were under total fire bans.

RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons on Friday said authorities expected another tough day for fatigued NSW firefighters.

“It’s going to be another very difficult day for people from the Hawkesbury right up to the mid-north coast, right up to the fires burning on the Queensland border. Unfortunately these strong winds, up to 60, 75km/h across the ranges, are really going to cause challenges,” Fitzsimmons told the Seven Network.

The fire at Bora Ridge burning southeast of Casino flared to emergency level on Thursday but had since been downgraded to “watch and act” level. An additional four NSW blazes were at “watch and act”.

But the RFS believed their efforts had saved more than 2,000 buildings.

“There’s fatigue all right, the physical fatigue, but these men and women, they’re so emotionally and mentally invested in just trying to save and protect their communities,” Fitzsimmons said.

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As news broke that the death toll since Friday had risen to four, harrowing details emerged of the latest victim’s last hours.

Barry Parsons’ body was discovered in bushland on the southern end of the Kyuna Track at Willawarrin, near Kempsey, on Wednesday night.

His body was found five days after his last sighting and a final post on a Facebook page in the 58-year-old’s name described Friday’s horror conditions.

“Seriously looks and sounds like apocolyse (sic) out there . F**ked up being on your own in these times,” Parsons’ post read.

Parsons had reportedly been living alone in a shed in the remote area.

News of his death follows that of Julie Fletcher, 63, who died in the town of Johns River, and Wytaliba locals Vivian Chaplain, 69, and George Nole.

About 60 schools remained closed on Friday.

The Insurance Council of Australia said insurers had received 730 claim applications, with initial losses totalling $80m.