Carwoola fire: Firefighters contain blaze but 11 homes destroyed
Updated
Firefighters have released the final damage toll for a grassfire east of Queanbeyan, which destroyed several homes and dozens of other buildings.
After two days of intense firefighting, crews finally managed to contain the blaze on Saturday.
The fire destroyed 11 homes, damaged 12 others, and destroyed 45 outbuildings.
The blaze began on Friday and fanned by high winds and hot temperatures, burned through 3,500 hectares.
NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) spokesman James Morris said despite the extensive losses, the damage could have been far worse.
"Firefighters did manage to save 56 homes," he said.
Two firefighters were also injured in the blaze, one suffering from burns, while the other sustained a crush injury while vehicles were being moved.
One senior firefighter lost his own home while defending others.
Appeal launched for fire victims
Fire crews will continue to mop up and monitor the blaze throughout Sunday.
Rain and cooler weather on Saturday helped firefighters get the upper hand and bring it under control.
But with temperatures to rise in the coming days, the work is not over yet.
"We'll still continue to monitor and patrol the fire for the coming days due to that warmer weather," Mr Morris said.
A police investigation in tandem with the RFS was launched on Saturday to help determine the cause.
"I believe that they have concluded their investigation and we'll just await the details of that over coming days," Mr Morris said.
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Charred trees and scorched earth now line the roads in Carwoola, east of Queanbeyan. (ABC News: Alkira Reinfrank)
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Many residents returned to find burnt-out shells of what was once their home. (ABC News: Alkira Reinfrank)
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Residents and emergency crews huddle on a street in Carwoola after a major bushfire destroys homes in the area. (ABC News: Alkira Reinfrank)
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Anne Ellis surveys her burnt out property on Captains Flat Rd. Her property was saved but other homes nearby weren't so lucky. (ABC News: Alkira Reinfrank)
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Flames burn out of control at the Carwoola fire ground. (ABC News: Nick Haggarty)
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An oven amongst the debris of a home after the Carwoola fire swept through. (ABC News: Alkira Reinfrank)
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Residents have their IDs checked before being let back into the area after a fire swept through near Carwoola. (ABC News: Alkira Reinfrank)
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A burnt out tree stump after the Carwoola fire swept through the area. (ABC Radio Canberra: Ainslie MacGibbon)
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Firefighters worked overnight into Saturday in an effort to contain the Carwoola blaze. (ABC News: Nick Haggarty)
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An RFS vehicle at the Carwoola fire ground. (ABC News: Nick Haggarty)
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Aerial view of the Carwoola bushfire. (Supplied: NSW RFS)
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Fire crews watch on as bushland burns in the Carwoola grassfire. (ABC News: Alkira Reinfrank)
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Anne Ellis returned home to find her chickens and home had survived the Carwoola fire, but the surrounding area was scorched. (ABC News: Alkira Reinfrank)
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Metal roofing sheets hang from a clothesline at a property near Carwoola. (ABC News: Alkira Reinfrank)
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NSW RFS support workers busy at work at the Carwoola fire control centre office in Queanbeyan. (ABC News: Nick Haggarty)
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A burnt out property on Captains Flat Road in Carwoola. (ABC News: Alkira Reinfrank)
The administrator of the Queanbeyan Palerang Council, Tim Overall, said an appeal had been launched to help those who lost property and livestock.
"There's a lot of community concern, with the devastation that so many have suffered," he said.
The fundraising effort was launched at last night's NRL trial match in Queanbeyan.
Crews called out to new blaze at Bungendore
In a separate incident on Sunday, firefighters were called to a grassfire near Bungendore, east of Canberra — that destroyed a small cottage.
It is understood the blaze began in the fireplace of a small home on Tarago Road, near the southern end of Lake George, and escalated from there.
A water bombing helicopter was called to fight the fire, but it was quickly brought under control.
A man who was home at the time managed to escape.
Topics: bushfire, fires, disasters-and-accidents, captains-flat-2623, act, queanbeyan-2620, nsw, australia
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