Blazing omen of killer summer - Ten homes razed in earliest start to fire season in 40 years: [1 Edition]
Benjamin Haslem, Cathy Pryor, John Stapleton. The Australian; Canberra, A.C.T. [Canberra, A.C.T] 09 Oct 2002: 1.
Abstract
More than 80 fires burned in NSW yesterday -- about 50 in the Sydney area alone -- as 60km/h northwesterly winds drove temperatures to 35C and pushed humidity levels to 5 per cent, the driest ever recorded in Sydney in October. Firefighters believe that many of the blazes were deliberately lit.
NSW Emergency Services Minister Bob Debus said the celebrated Erickson Air-Crane Helitankers used to fight fires in NSW last Christmas were being rushed to Sydney.
Smoking ruins: Bushfires destroy houses on Thurlgona Road, Engadine, adjacent to the Royal National Park in Sydney's far south Picture: Nathan Edwards; Photo: MapPhoto
BUSHFIRES fed by searing heat, strong winds and record low humidity, destroyed 10 homes in Sydney's south yesterday, in a frightening portent of the fire season to come.
Nine of the homes were destroyed on one side of Thurlgona Road in the suburb of Engadine, which adjoins the Royal National Park on Sydney's southern fringe, site of two massive infernos in the past eight years.
Another home around the corner in Marooba Place was also burned to the ground yesterday.
More than 80 fires burned in NSW yesterday -- about 50 in the Sydney area alone -- as 60km/h northwesterly winds drove temperatures to 35C and pushed humidity levels to 5 per cent, the driest ever recorded in Sydney in October. Firefighters believe that many of the blazes were deliberately lit.
NSW Rural Fire Services Commissioner Phil Koperberg said it was the earliest start to a fire season he had known in 40 years.
With much of Australia gripped by drought, yesterday's devastation in Sydney is likely to be repeated across the nation in coming months, as weather forecasters are predicting a hot and dry summer.
"It is an ominous start to the season," Mr Koperberg said.
"We have been reporting for many weeks that this could happen."
Mr Koperberg said he would not be surprised if this season were as bad or worse than last Christmas-New Year, when fires destroyed more than 100 homes across NSW.
"It's clear that the stress caused to vegetation by the protracted drought causes fire to behave in the way we saw today," Mr Koperberg said.
A cool change was approaching the city last night, and maximum temperatures were expected to be considerably lower today.
However, while winds should ease, no rain was forecast.
Hundreds of Engadine residents were evacuated to nearby bowling and RSL clubs yesterday as dozens of firefighters battled the blaze from the ground and with helicopter water-bombers.
Three sheds and a caravan were destroyed by a blaze that swept through Windsor Downs and Berkshire Park on the northwestern fringe of the city.
One woman was hospitalised suffering smoke inhalation after battling a blaze threatening her property near Windsor.
Fires also burned around Penrith, Blacktown and St Marys in the city's west, and near Sydney airport.
Elsewhere in the state, fires were burning in the northern rivers and Hunter region, and as far south as Nowra.
NSW Rural Fire Service station officer Grant West said more than a dozen fire trucks rushed to Thurlgona Road shortly before 2pm but by the time, they arrived several homes were already ablaze.
Residents had little warning of the fire, which rushed up an adjoining gully and razed 10 homes and severely damaged 12 others.
"When we arrived -- like all bushfires, we go to you can never get enough people or trucks right when you need them -- already a couple of houses were going," Mr West said.
"I've been doing this for nearly 20 years and I still feel sorry for people when they lose everything ... their precious mementos like wedding photos and so forth, some things just can't be replaced."
Robyn Langfield, who lives at 65 Thurlgona Road managed to save her home.
"This morning there was a bit of white smoke and I rang the fire brigade and they said there was nothing to worry about, yet about five minutes later there was just smoke everywhere, I had to grab the kids and run," Ms Langfield said.
A group of children used buckets of water fetched from a neighbour's swimming pool to help douse the flames in her back garden.
NSW Emergency Services Minister Bob Debus said the celebrated Erickson Air-Crane Helitankers used to fight fires in NSW last Christmas were being rushed to Sydney.
Some Engadine residents complained about a lack of backburning since last summer's inferno.
Illustration
Caption: Smoking ruins: Bushfires destroy houses on Thurlgona Road, Engadine, adjacent to the Royal National Park in Sydney's far south Picture: Nathan Edwards; Photo: MapPhoto
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