Carwoola fire: Homes lost, firefighter injured in fast-moving blaze near Queanbeyan
Updated
Photo:
Fire crews watch on as bushland burns in the Carwoola grassfire. (ABC News: Alkira Reinfrank)
At least six homes have been lost in an out-of-control grassfire burning near Carwoola, about 10 kilometres south-east of Queanbeyan in New South Wales.
The New South Wales Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) told ABC Radio Canberra at least six houses had been lost, but were unable to confirm exactly how many in the midst of fighting fires.
A firefighter was also injured in the blaze and was taken to hospital with burns.
The areas under threat are along Widgiewa Road, Whiskers Creek Road, Yilgarn Road and Captains Flat Road.
The RFS said it was too late for residents to leave in the area of Hoskintown, Rossi or Forbes Creek.
They also advised residents in the area of Primrose Valley not to leave, as the road north is affected by fire.
The fast-moving fire is burning in an easterly direction towards Captains Flat and it has crossed Widgiewa Road, Whiskers Creek Road and Molongolo River.
Greg Allen from the RFS said residents along those roads should take shelter immediately from radiant heat.
"Certainly get inside a solid structure of your home," he said.
"Close all windows, watch for embers, fill up the bath tub and have water prepared and ready to assist should fire take hold outside or inside the property.
"Certainly do what you can to remain safe, seek shelter inside your property and take advice from firefighters as that fire front moves through."
The RFS said residents in the area of Taliesin Road, Wanna Wanna Road, Douglas Close and O'Hanlon Place should be prepared to enact their bush fire survival plan.
Woolcara Lane residents should also monitor conditions and the RFS said they should take advice from firefighters in the area.
Queanbeyan Police said school children travelling on buses would be redirected to the Q Theatre at Queanbeyan where an evacuation centre had been set up.
Another evacuation centre is located in the hall at the Queanbeyan Public School.
Large firefighting aircraft are assisting crews and trucks are being brought in from the surrounding region.
Watch and act for grassfire in state's central west
An emergency warning for another grassfire burning near Belubula Way, to the west of Mandurama in the state's central west, has been downgraded to a watch and act.
The blaze has already burnt out 270 hectares.
The RFS said conditions were easing and firefighters were now slowly bringing the fire under control.
But the RFS's Rob Rogers said they were concerned about lightning from a number of storms.
"More broadly… we've got now 66 fires burning in the state [and] 40 of them are out of control so we're in for a very long afternoon," he said.
Topics: fires, disasters-and-accidents, queanbeyan-2620, nsw
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