Homes lost as fire season comes early: [1 All-round Country Edition]
Elizabeth Gosch, John Stapleton, Additional reporting: D.D. McNicoll. The Australian; Canberra, A.C.T. [Canberra, A.C.T] 25 Sep 2006: 1.
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The worst fires yesterday were around the small towns of Picton and Thirlmere, southwest of Sydney, where four houses were destroyed. In Cattai and Maroota South, near the Hawkesbury River on Sydney's northwestern outskirts, another three houses were lost.
In the Nangarin Vineyard Estate, near Picton, southwest of Sydney, an elderly couple lost their house on The Grange Road. Neighbour Pete Collins said the couple had built the house themselves about three years ago.
Most of the fire near Picton was behind containment lines last night as the strong wind moderated and conditions eased. But Rural Fire Service spokeswoman Rebel Talbot warned that southerly winds would have the initial effect of "two weather systems colliding", creating "extremely erratic fire behaviour".
SOARING spring temperatures and gale-force winds contributed to the early arrival of the bushfire season in NSW yesterday, with seven homes lost around Sydney and the savage weather conditions killing a motorcyclist.
Winds of up to 100km/h and temperatures in the mid 30s fanned as many as 50 fires along the coast, realising the tinderbox fears firefighters have been harbouring all winter.
Wind gusts created havoc over the state. A 52-year-old man was killed by a falling branch while riding his motorcycle in the Kangaroo Valley, in the southern highlands, while the State Emergency Service received more than 1000 calls for assistance over blocked roads, fallen power lines and damage to houses.
About 90,000 homes in Sydney's greater west, southern highlands, Blue Mountains and the south coast were without power after winds brought down lines. Integral Energy spokeswoman Kate McCuw said about 120,000 homes were blacked out and crews were working through the night to restore power.
The bushfire season opened in Victoria with the outbreak last Sunday of fire in the northwestern Mallee region, burning out more than 23,000ha of the Murray-Sunset National Park near Murrayville, before being brought under control on Friday.
The worst fires yesterday were around the small towns of Picton and Thirlmere, southwest of Sydney, where four houses were destroyed. In Cattai and Maroota South, near the Hawkesbury River on Sydney's northwestern outskirts, another three houses were lost.
Residents of Burrill Lake, near Ulladulla on the south coast, were also evacuated but no properties were lost there.
Three houses in Midson Road, next to Scheyville National Park, burnt down in the Cattai blaze. Neighbours said they had been begging for the area to have proper controlled burn-offs for the past decade, but have been ignored.
Michael Peer, son-in-law of one of the home owners, said the loss of the house was devastating.
"She lost her husband less than a year ago, the house was recently refurbished, now this. She has pretty well lost everything. But at least she is safe," Mr Peer said. "I can't thank the firefighters enough ... these guys do a fantastic job."
An immediate neighbour of the burned-out house, George Kasprzycki, was given two minutes to vacate his home. "It came up in a big rush," he said. "The
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wind was strong all day. It was a frightening experience."
In the Nangarin Vineyard Estate, near Picton, southwest of Sydney, an elderly couple lost their house on The Grange Road. Neighbour Pete Collins said the couple had built the house themselves about three years ago.
"The fire just came roaring up the hill," Mr Collins said, "Everyone ran out with buckets and hoses to fight it but their house caught alight.
"We only just saved ours. We fought for three hours until the RFS boys put the fire out."
Most of the fire near Picton was behind containment lines last night as the strong wind moderated and conditions eased. But Rural Fire Service spokeswoman Rebel Talbot warned that southerly winds would have the initial effect of "two weather systems colliding", creating "extremely erratic fire behaviour".
Crews would be pulled back from fire fronts until the effect of the southerly could be monitored, Ms Talbot said.
Backburning operations were planned overnight if conditions permitted.
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