Firefighters are battling more than 40 fires in New South Wales, with one bushfire at Peats Ridge on the state’s central coast threatening homes.
There are more extreme weather conditions forecast for today and a total fire ban remains in place, but a late southerly change is expected this afternoon.
Fire crews from southern New South Wales will travel to Victoria today to help firefighters struggling to contain fires in that state.
Firefighters are working to establish containment lines around a fire that is threatening homes at Peats Ridge on the state’s central coast.
The Rural Fire Service has applauded residents in the area, saying they have worked hard to protect their homes from the threat of embers.
Rebel Talbert from the Rural Fire Service says people with homes in the area need to be well prepared for the threat of fire.
“This fire is spotting well ahead of itself, so were are expecting the homes will come under impact from ember attack,” she said.
Ms Talbert says the hot and windy conditions have seen many of the fires spread rapidly.
Authorities are carefully monitoring fires at Muswellbrook, Tumut, the Bega Valley, Wybong in the Hunter Valley and Wollemi National Park in the Singleton area.
Firefighters have had to retreat from the fire in the Wollemi National Park in the state’s Hunter region because of extreme temperatures but crews are still monitoring the situation.
The Rural Fire Service says three fires which began in the park this morning have merged, burning about 1,000 hectares of bushland, but it is not threatening any properties.
It says a bushfire in the Bega Valley in the state’s far south has crossed containment lines.
The blaze has burnt more than 1,000 hectares since it began about a week ago at Jingera Rock.
While it is not currently threatening any properties, residents from nearby villages including Towamba, Wyndham and Burragate have been asked to stay prepared.
The New South Wales Rural Fire Service information hotline is 1800 679 737.
Taken from the abc newcastle site.
