A bad situation just got worse! Here's tonight's news:
Sunday - a fateful day in NSW?
by ozziepost 12 Replies latest jw friends
-
-
refiners fire
Mr Carr told volunteers: "If you see an arsonist, pounce on him"... "Do whatever you like, and we'll pass a law to retrospectively fix it up,"
Hardly a responsible utterance from the guy who is running the state. What say you oz?
-
Prisca
I think Mr Carr is saying exactly what most Sydneysiders are thinking in respect to the arsonists.
They are also talking about long term jail terms for those that are caught, and that's after any of the public have finished with them!!
-
ozziepost
What say you oz?
I went off politics a while ago, RF. Besides you know the Borg admonishes "true Christians" to be neutral as regards politics. -
hippikon
Hey Ozzie - That fire down in cambeltown did't get close to the Sydney Bethel did it?
Pity
-
hippikon
Refiners: Bob Carr has got one important thing going for him - He's not Liberal
-
Shutterbug
Ozzie,
It is easy to understand why Mr. Carr might be a tad upset. Not too long ago a fellow here in the US started a forest fire so he could get some work fighting the thing. Wish I knew what goes thru peoples minds when they do these criminal acts.
-
JH
I'm from Canada, and I have noticed since a few years, that these fires happen so often in your area. Are they intentionally set?
-
blondie
To all Australians posting and lurking here:
Sorry to hear about these fires. Yes, in the US there was a fireman in California that set fires and a unhappy US Park female employee that started a fire in Colorado because she was depressed(!). That fire came pretty close to a large urban area and she was not too popular. But most of the fires out here have been in outlying areas not so populated.
The fires have been featured prominently on the national news here and many people out West are emphasizing with the people in Australia.
I hope everyone gets to safety and the fire is contained soon.
Blondie
http://www.bushfire.nsw.gov.au/
Sat, Dec 7 2002 11:08 PM AEDT
Over 40 homes have been destroyed in the NSW bushfires
Weather forecast ominous as bushfires rage on
Firefighters in New South Wales are working through the night to strengthen containment lines and carry out backburning, in preparation for worsening weather conditions.
The NSW Rural Fire Service says houses are likely to be threatened as temperatures climb to the mid 30's, winds reach 40 kilometres per hour and humidity drops below 10 per cent.
Fire crews are working on backburning operations throughout the night to protect communities south of the fires which are likely to be fanned by the expected north westerly winds.
The fires of greatest concern are in Sydney's north at Berowra, Cessnock and Singleton in the Hunter Valley, near Nowra in the Shoalhaven and in the Eurobodalla.
Firefighters from Victoria and South Australia already battling the blazes have agreed to stay for another three days
With some 80 fires burning in New South Wales and more than 40 homes already lost, efforts to contain the fires over the weekend now have added urgency.
NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Phil Koperburg says the forecast means the RFS will have to review its tactics to manage the crisis.
"This will cause us to review all of our strategies across all of the fire districts and put additional emphasis on the need to contain as many southern lines as we possibly can," Commissioner Koperburg said.
"Between now and tomorrow morning firefighters are going to have a considerable challenge to lock up all their fires," he said.
Winds of up to 40 kilometres an hour are predicted for the Shoalhaven where there are two fires south of Nowra.
The service says it may not be able to contain fires near communities at Berowra in Sydney's north, near Cessnock and Singleton in the Hunter Valley and Nowra in the Shoalhaven.
"There's little chance of containing it before tomorrow morning and that will present some fairly severe problems for the area south of Nowra tomorrow," Commissioner Koperburg said.
Dry, dusty winds are also predicted for Monday.
Thirty-six of the homes lost are in the state's north, one in the Blue Mountains and three in Sydney's south.
Meanwhile, fire crews have managed to protect homes on the south coast after a flare up at Nerrigundah, near Eurobodalla this afternoon.
Backburning will continue overnight at other problem fires, including at Berowra in Sydney's north and south of Nowra in the Shoalhaven.
RFS spokesman Mark Sullivan says tomorrow will bring winds of up to 40 kilometres an hour and extremely low humidity.
"With that, 35 or so degrees Celsius temperatures. so whilst it's not as severe as it has been over the last couple of days, tomorrow certainly will pick up," Mr Sullivan said.
"The prediction is that fires that are still burning will keep burning and will run into areas if they're not adequately contained overnight."
Relief funding
The New South Wales Department of Community Services and the Red Cross are doorknocking the areas worst affected by the bushfires to find those families who have not come forward for assistance.
The $10,000 helping hand grant has been paid to four families who have lost their homes since the crisis began on Wednesday.
The department says it will make another 12 payments by early next week but is concerned those eligible are not asking for assistance.
Meanwhile, the Anglican Church has launched an appeal for victims of the bushfires.
Archbishop of Sydney Dr Peter Jensen says immediate grants can be distributed to victims who speak to their local minister.
Dr Jensen says the Archbishop's Appeals Unit is distributing money through churches in Sydney, Wollongong and the Shoalhaven as of today.
Health concerns
Health authorities are warnings residents of Sydney and bushfire-affected areas to take precautions against the thick smoke.
People with breathing problems are being asked to stay indoors due to the heavy smoke from the fires and backburning.
The acting director of environmental services at the New South Wales Health Department, Dr Vicky Shepherd, says the effects of the smoke may require people to contact their GP or their local hospital.
"That can be a problem for people with asthma, or heart disease, or other kinds of lung disease, it can make it worse," she said.
"Even up to about four, five days later they might be noticing that they're developing symptoms of their illness that need some attention. -
ozziepost
Hippi,
There's no bush around Bethel, just manicured lawns around the Bethel buildings and the surrounding palatial homes of Denham Court.
There are a few gums in Zouch Road, but no real danger to Bethel.
Ozzie