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NSW bushfires: Rural Fire Service issues emergency warnings as bushfires head for towns

As the state faces its worst bushfire conditions in history, residents across NSW have been told to seek shelter from out-of-control fires burning near their homes.

The Sir Ivan bushfire burns near Dunedoo.
The Sir Ivan bushfire burns near Dunedoo. Photo: NSW Rural Fire Service

Thanks for joining us tonight, for now we have wrapped up our live blog. You can read the full story of the state's fire threat here.

Fire crews have spent another day battling dozens of blazes across the state amid the worst fire conditions in NSW history. 

More than 2,500 firefighters struggled to tame four separate bushfire emergencies that threatened to engulf entire towns in the state's north-west.

Firefighters will work through the night to contain 97 blazes across the state. 37 fires are uncontained, and four will remain at the emergency level. 

Emergency warnings remain in place for four bushfires:

  • at Lower Paooinbarra, west of Port Macquarie; 
  • near Leadville, east of Dunedoo
  • at Kains Flat, north-east of Mudgee;
  • at Dondingalong, near Kempsey.

Only one person was taken to hospital suffering from burns. Fortunately there has been no reported deaths or serious injuries. 

A Baptist Church at Aberdare in the state's Hunter region has been destroyed by fire. The Evening service had only finished five minutes earlier, the Nine Network reported. Luckily, no one was injured in the blaze. 

Cassalis farmer has never seen a fire like it

Matt O'Sullivan reports from Cassillis:

Cassillis farmer Clinton Rawlinson says he has never seen a fire of the scale of the one bearing down on the small town in NSW's central
west on Sunday.

"There are usually a few little ones but this one started in Dunedoo yesterday and she's still burning," said Mr Rawlinson, who has lived at Cassillis for more than five decades.

Mr Rawlinson and local truck driver John McLennan were keeping close watch of a fast-moving fire started by a lightning strike to the
south of Cassillis.

While most residents have evacuated Cassillis to escape the Sir Ivan fire and sought shelter further east on the Golden Highway at Merriwa, both men have decided to stay to protect their properties.

"I have got two houses on [his property of about 200 acres], so I have to stay to watch them. We have two firefighting units," Mr Rawlinson
said.

Residents living near Cassilis in the state's north-west have spent Sunday packing up what they can and heading to nearby evacuation centres in Merriwa and Mudgee. 

While the RFS cannot confirm exactly how many properties have been damaged by fire, the number is thought to be in the dozens.

The blaze causing the greatest concern for firefighters is the Sir Ivan Fire near Leadville in the state's north-west. That fire is currently burning across a large front and is been driven by strong winds from the south. 

Over 2,500 firefighters are battling up to 80 fires across the state.

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Here's another image from Nick Moir, west of Cassilis.

Farmers battle a fire near Cassilis in the central west of New South Wales.
Farmers battle a fire near Cassilis in the central west of New South Wales. Photo: Nick Moir

Photographer Nick Moir is covering efforts to fight the fires near Cassilis. He has filed these photographs from west of the town.

Farmers battle a fire that started with a lightning strike near a larger blaze west of Cassilis.
Farmers battle a fire that started with a lightning strike near a larger blaze west of Cassilis. Photo: Nick Moir

Three arrested for lighting fires

Three people have been arrested for lighting fires during the state's total fire ban.

A 13-year-old boy was arrested on Saturday afternoon after he allegedly started a grass fire in Orange that prompted the evacuation of an animal shelter.

A 40-year-old man was arrested at the scene of a bushfire at Mangrove Creek on the central coast just after midnight on Sunday. 

And a 32-year-old man was arrested at Nabiac on the mid-North coast on Sunday afternoon after two fires were deliberately lit.

 

 

 

There are five emergency warnings in place around the state:

  • At Leadville, near Warrumbungle;

  • Near the towns of Uarby and Turill, north of Mudgee;

  • At Kains Flat, north-east of Mudgee;

  • Near Boggabri, in north-western NSW;

  • At Dondingalong, near Kempsey.

Thousands of firefighters will remain on standby throughout the night as more than 80 fires continue to burn across the state. 

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Lizzy Galloway captures the blaze in Dunedoo this afternoon. 

RFS crews deployed to fires in Boggabri

One person has been seriously burnt in the out-of-control blaze at Boggabri, reports the Namoi Valley Independent.

The member of the public was injured this afternoon as the fire raged near the town.

The person is being flown to Sydney for specialist treatment for the burns, the RFS said.

Boggabri has lost all power as firefighters battle to control an out of control blaze.

An emergency warning remains in place and there are fears more than one home as well as sheds have been lost.

The fire is now more than 1500 hectares in size and still out of control, after jumping both the Namoi River and the Kamilaroi Highway.

Firefighters can still get access to water to douse the blaze which has been declared a major fire.

As a day of unprecedented weather comes to a close, residents across the state can take small solace in the cool change expected to sweep across the state on Monday. 

Weatherzone Meteorologist Brett Dutschke said the state can expect a much-needed break from the heatwave.

"The weather is cooling down and the wind is changing direction, there are even a few thunderstorms developing". 

"The wind will ease right across the state over the next couple of hours and will be much gentler tomorrow", Mr Dutshke said. "The wind certainly won't be as strong tomorrow as it was today", he added.  

While the fire danger is set to hover around the severe level throughout Monday, a cool southerly is expected to keep the worst of the fires at bay. 

But spare a though for the residents of Lower Pappinbarra, west of Wauchope, who are still sweltering in 46 degree heat. 

'My house is totally gone'

Homeowner Warren Jarvis has lost property and animals to a large fire impacting the township of Cassilis in central west NSW.

"I've been watching the smoke since yesterday, before it came up around the hill. I was up around the back paddock to see how close it was and I took off because I could see some flames. I came straight onto the main road here and saw all the flames just come over the hill and go mad."

"My house and all my property is totally gone. Three greyhounds, other cats, all my chooks, probably my sheep and cattle."

'My house is totally gone'

Homeowner Warren Jarvis has lost property and animals to a large fire impacting the township of Cassilis in central west NSW.

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Dunedoo fire burning near home of champion jockey Hugh Bowman

As he prepares to ride superstar mare Winx to her 14th successive win tomorrow, champion jockey Hugh Bowman's thoughts will not be solely focused on the task at hand at Royal Randwick.

He will also spare a thought for the people of his hometown Dunedoo, which has been under threat from bushfires all weekend. The flames are raging so close to his family's property that his father, Jim, was busy over the weekend helping fight the blaze, one of 86 that combined to produce "the worst day for bushfires in NSW history".

Read more here. 

Dozens of properties are expected to be damaged as out of control bushfires continue to grip the state. 

Rural Fire Service superintendent Cam Baker says one property has been lost in the Pappinbarra Road fire and around another 20 homes are under threat.

"We've currently got a very fast moving and quickly escalating fire at Pappinbarra Road near Hollisdale", Superintendent Baker told the ABC.

"We've had a report of a structural loss at this stage. Crews are trying to gain the upper hand, weather conditions are not good for us at the moment".

Fortunately there has been no reported deaths or serious injuries.

NSW smashes February statewide heat records two days in a row

Meteorologists were predicting NSW would set a state-wide record for February warmth during the current heatwave but few would have tipped the mark would be broken two days in a row.

The blast of summer heat has placed south-eastern Australia on the map as the hottest place on the planet.

Read the full story here.

Reporter Matt O'Sullivan writes: "The massive Sir Ivan fire east of Dunedoo has evolved into a new stage, developing a pyrocumulus - a storm created by thermal updrafts from the fire.

Fairfax Media has witnessed lightening strikes from the fire storm near Cassillis.

Heavy ash rain is also falling from the storm over Merriwa, on the golden highway to the east of the town of Cassillis.

A massive plume of smoke is also rising to the south-west of Merriwa.

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