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Haunting images of Blue Mountains fires

Photographer Nick Moir captures stunning images of the bushfires raging across the Blue Mountains on Thursday.

PT1M17S http://www.theage.com.au/action/externalEmbeddedPlayer?id=d-2w53r 620 349

Three firefighters sprint towards a glowing piece of bark hovering in the air above the road. ''Get that one,'' someone yells. ''Yeah got it,'' another replies as they stamp it out.

These are the night watchmen who attack any embers that drift up from the burning Grose Valley in the Blue Mountains in NSW.

There are at least 20 crews flanked along the side of the road west of Bilpin and they watch eagle-eyed for any spot fires that may spring up.

Fire burns on Mount Banks in the Blue Mountains.

Fire burns on Mount Banks in the Blue Mountains. Photo: Dallas Kilponen

Embers are the biggest threat to the townships of Mount Wilson, Berambing and Mount Tomah and these Rural Fire Service volunteers are determined to stop one from passing.

Coonabarabran RFS volunteer Catriona Pascoe stands looking at the burning valley that's impossible for firefighters to reach on foot.

''We are protecting the unburnt country, so we are watching when the fires come up, try to stop it, slow it down, and stop the fires,'' Ms Pascoe said. ''It's been very hard with winds coming straight up from the escarpment, bit scary towards the end.

The fire front moves through the Blue Mountains off the Bells Line of Road, west of Mount Tomah. Click for more photos

Bushfires in the Blue Mountains

The fire front moves through the Blue Mountains off the Bells Line of Road, west of Mount Tomah. Photo: Dallas Kilponen

  • The fire front moves through the Blue Mountains off the Bells Line of Road, west of Mount Tomah.
  • Plumes of smoke from rise from the State Mine Fire and Mount York fire as the sun sets in the Blue Mountains.
  • As fires continue to burn, smoke drifts across the Blue Mountains.
  • Plumes of smoke rise from flare ups of the State Mine Fire as the sun sets along the Bells Line of Road.
  • A fire burns on Mount Banks in the Blue Mountains National Park, south of the Bells Line of Road.
  • RFS fire crews take position along the Bells Line of Road.
  • On the Bells Line of Road, a fire fighter watches for ember attacks late into the night.
  • The lights and colours of emergency vehicles combine with smoke for an eerie scene.
  • Fire and embers fill the landscape long into the night.
  • RFS fire crews maintain a close watch on conditions.
  • A fire front moves through the Blue Mountains.
  • A water bombing helicopter flies through plumes of smoke from the State Mine Fire at dusk.
  • Fires burning in and around Grose Valley.

''It's just a case of where there is some activity, try to get there, knock it down before it gets too bad, then hope that it's all good.''

When her strike team is confident they have blacked out their patch, they move a few metres down the road.

One firefighter in her team climbs a rock ledge and uses a rope to lift the hose into position. ''Good to go,'' he yells over the hum of the rumbling fire truck.

Fire trucks stand in wait along the Bells Line of Road.

Fire trucks stand in wait along the Bells Line of Road. Photo: Dallas Kilponen

Every hundred metres a firefighter can be seen with a foot up on a guard rail, pointing a hose in the direction of glowing trees.

Ms Pascoe has been helping to fight the bushfires since Monday.

''We love it.''

Deputy captain Greg Cassidy is working with a strike team a few hundred metres down the road.

''Basically, we're just trying to prevent the embers from burning on the other side of the road and keeping the fire into the burn area we've got on the western side,'' Mr Cassidy said.

He said burnt stumps posed the biggest concern as they had the ability to burn for days.

''We are wetting down the stumps that are throwing embers and basically keeping an eye on the other side of the Bells Line to make sure the embers don't start anything up.''

Meanwhile, NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell says he wants to discuss possible compensation for victims of the State Mine bushfire with Prime Minister Tony Abbott after Defence admitted starting the fire, opening the way to the federal government paying millions of dollars.

Visiting Winmalee in the Blue Mountains on Friday, Mr O'Farrell welcomed the apology from acting Defence Force chief Mark Binskin for the fire, which was sparked by a Defence training exercise near Lithgow.

Asked whether the state government would seek compensation from the Commonwealth, Mr O'Farrell said he hadn't seen any report on the fire but added: ''I do intend to speak to the PM once I see that report because, clearly, at least seven or so homes were lost as a result of that fire. Other property damage occurred and we need to see what's going to be done.''

On Friday, more than 800 firefighters were still battling 51 fires across NSW, 22 of which were uncontained. But three major Blue Mountains fires - the State Mine, Linksview Road and Mount York Road - have all been downgraded.

With DAVID WROE