printable version PDF version

NSW Bushfires Flare, Sydney to Choke on Toxic Smoke for Days
by Sarah Swain via stella - 9News Tuesday, Dec 3 2019, 11:26pm
international / prose / post

Heavy [dangerous] smoke smothering Sydney and other parts of NSW is forecast to linger into the weekend, as bushfires flared after being fanned by winds.

Raging Blue Mountains Fire blanketing Sydney in Toxic Smoke and Ash

[Our hero] firefighters faced another tough day of windy and dry conditions on Wednesday with total fire bans in place for the greater Hunter, the northern slopes and northwestern regions of the state.

A fire near Wiseman's Ferry on the Hawkesbury has flared this afternoon amid hot winds.

Crews are trying to protect a home on the north bank of the river.

Meanwhile, the NSW Rural Fire Service on Wednesday said the "heavy smoke" would be noticeable in Sydney for several days.

"Very heavy smoke is affecting the Sydney area. It is being blown from large fires near Warragamba Dam," the RFS said in a statement.

"Smoke is also affecting areas including the north coast, Hawkesbury, Wollondilly, Queanbeyan and Shoalhaven areas."

The Bureau of Meteorology said the smoke would stick around until Saturday.

Lingering smoke could be "unhealthy [ridiculous mass media understatement] for sensitive people, and could cause symptoms, especially in people with heart or lung disease", the state's environment department said.

Air quality levels were hazardous in parts of Sydney on Wednesday morning.

There were 116 fires burning across the state on Wednesday with 60 uncontained, and there are more than 2200 firefighters in the field.
https://twitter.com/NSWRFS/status/1202094937858334723?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Firefighters worked through Tuesday night to protect houses from the 47,000-hectare Currowan blaze north of Batemans Bay on the South Coast.

Operations are continuing, with a tanker dropping retardant.

"Firefighters overnight worked to protect a number of properties in coastal communities," the RFS said.
https://twitter.com/NSWRFS/status/1202097555494047752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

"Easing conditions have seen the threat to homes reduced."

The Currowan blaze - which has destroyed at least one home - has been downgraded to a "watch and act" alert level.

There were six other fires burning at a watch and act level on Wednesday afternoon near Willawarrin, Kurri Kurri, Putty and Wisemans Ferry, as well as separate blazes east and west of Wollombi.

Copyright applies.

[Still no word from governments on future fire mitigation and preventative measures; well, they are USELESS Oz governments after all.]

Supercilious and Insular Pentecostal dribbler PM Scott Morrison, focused on Political Intrigues in Canberra

https://www.9news.com.au/