'This is as bad as it gets' – NSW bushfires live
Helen Davidson and Haroon Siddique
Fire services have issued several emergency warnings in NSW as serious fires burn in Sydney's Blue Mountains and near Newcastle
Summary: four emergency warnings, one 'watch and act' issued in NSW
Fire services have issued four emergency warnings in New South Wales as serious fires burn in Sydney's Blue Mountains and near Newcastle.
A fourth bushfire emergency has been declared in Mount Victoria, not far from an out of control fire near Lithgow in the Blue Mountains - which has been burning since Wednesday.
The Lithgow fire is threatening homes and residents have been urged to seek shelter as conditions are “deteriorating” according to the rural fire service. Hot and gusty winds are worsening conditions and residents have been warned to take care of flying embers and advised to put out spot fires on their properties.
Roads, highways and at least one school have been closed.
A fire near Heatherbrae in the Hunter region has breached containment lines, fueled by gusts of up to 7-80kmh. Thick smoke is visible from Newcastle CBD and the city’s airport has been closed.
The hot dry and windy weather is expected to continue for another five or six hours at least, rural fire service (RFS) spokesman Joel Kursawe told ABC News.
The RFS advises residents near the Heatherbrae fire to evacuate now if they are planning to leave or are not prepared, but only if the way is clear.
The same advice has been issued to residents of Yanderra in the Southern Highlands where a fire is burning near the village and neighbouring Balmoral. Yanderra residents have been sent an emergency telephone message.
A watch and act advisory has also been issued over a fire east of Singleton, also in the Hunter region.
Near Wiseman’s Ferry in the Hawkesbury region, more than 30 firefighters and two aircraft are battling a fire which has only been partially contained.
The bureau of meteorology (BOM) earlier issued severe wind and weather warnings for the Hunter, Sydney, Illawarra, Central Tablelands, Southern Tablelands, ACT and Snowy Mountains regions.
The Mount Victoria fire has been revised to a 'watch and act'. An emergency warning has been issued for a grass fire in South Nowra in the Shoalhaven area.
This is a mirror of the NSW Rural Fire Service Current Fires and Incidents map. It should be at most a few minutes behind.
Disclaimer: This information is extracted from the NSW Rural Fire Service Incident Database. It is not 'real time' information, but is provided as a general indication of current activity.
Please listen to your ABC Local Radio station if you are in a hazardous situation.
Updated
All aircraft that were previously battling the Lithgow fires have been grounded due to dangerous winds, according to the RFS deputy commissioner - director operations, Rob Rogers.
A fifth emergency warning has been issued in NSW. There are also two watch and act advisories and one advisory.
The fifth warning is a revision of the fire at Yanderra and Balmoral in the Southern Highlands. "There are reports that the fire has or soon will impact Yanderra," reads the RFS statement.
Residents of Yanderra have been told to leave now if they can, otherwise to take shelter.
2.30pm BALMORAL UPDATE: The structure that was destroyed by fire may have been a shed. Fire crews cannot get in the area to confirm.
— Illawarra Mercury (@illawarramerc) October 17, 2013
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/17/bushfires-rage-in-nsw-as-emergency-warnings-issued-live-blog/print