Tonite's news report on the fires which are devastating Sydney and much of New South Wales includes this scary item:
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Bushfires have trapped coastal residents on NSW beaches for a second day as authorities called for two more 'Elvis' helitankers to help battle the raging infernos devastating NSW.
About 2,000 residents from Bendalong and Berringer Lake on the NSW south coast were evacuated to the beach as a fire that destroyed about up to 20 houses on Wednesday night in nearby Sussex Inlet headed their way.
They were trapped on the beach with wildfires cutting off all road access, according to Shoalhaven Rural Fire Service spokeswoman June Webster.
"There's only one road out to the highway and that's ringed with fire. They can't get out," she said.
On Wednesday night 5,000 residents of Sussex Inlet were forced to huddle on the beach as parts of their town were turned to ashes by the same fire. The blaze is under investigation amid claims it was caused by a bungled backburn.
As the NSW bushfire crisis entered its 11th day with more than 80 blazes continuing to burn out of control despite milder weather conditions, fire chiefs admitted the battle was far from over and called for two more of the 'Elvis' Erickson Air-Crane Helitankers to be flown in from the US within the next five days.
The $15 million aircraft with its capacity to dump 9,000 litres of water in one go has been hailed a success by firefighters wherever it has been used.
The move followed the prospect of the Elvis currently being used returning to its base in Victoria, with that state facing weather conditions similar to those being experienced in NSW.
Almost 300 Victorian crews deployed in NSW went home today after helping NSW authorities on New Year's Day.
State Emergency Services Minister Bob Debus said the government last night began a worldwide search to obtain more of the Elvis aircraft.
"The government has today taken the decision to engage two more of the Erickson ... Elvis helicopters," he said.
"I expect that they will be here ... in three to five days."
The aircraft would be contracted although the state government would look to later securing a purchase by the federal government.
Prime Minister John Howard said the commonwealth remained ready to help but would await advice from NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) Commissioner Phil Koperberg before making a commitment.
"Anything that can be done will be done," Mr Howard said.
Authorities today deployed Elvis in the Blue Mountains where a fire with a 25km front took a run to within two kilometres of the township of Woodford.
Around 300 firefighters battled the blaze with some crews being pulled from its path after strong westerly winds began to fan the fire.
And residents in the Lakesland area in the state's south, in Hawkesbury north of Sydney and in the Wollondilly Shire in the south-west were on evacuation alert.
Another fire at Bulga near Cessnock in the Hunter Valley was burning across 44,000 hectares of difficult terrain but was not posing an immediate threat to property.
Reinforcements were brought in from Queensland today to relieve exhausted firefighters.
Mr Koperberg said despite cooler temperatures, there was still no sight of much-needed rain.
"The air is still very dry, there has been no rain and very little containment (of fires)," he said.
"This campaign will just roll on until we have six or seven days of good humidity, low winds or no winds and mild temperatures so we can begin to mop up."
NSW would need up to 40mm of rain to allow crews to get on top of the blazes, he said.
©AAP 2001
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Cheers,
Ozzie