Temperature forecasts of up to 40 degrees on Saturday is not any help to the Rural Fire Service who are stretched battling blazes across the Hunter.
The Buladelah grass fire closed the Pacific Highway on Friday morning from Twelve Mile Creek all the way to Nabiac, causing significant headaches for commuters who have been forced to use The Bucketts Way instead. As of Friday afternoon, it had burned through over 760 hectares.
There are a number of fires crews are keeping an eye on, including at Cedar Creek, the ongoing Milsons Gully fire near Merriwa, and at Upper Rouchel near Scone.
RFS Spokeswoman Victoria Quested says they’re getting help from the ground and the air.
“We’ve seen some strike teams deployed from other areas of the state to come in and assist those local crews. And no doubt people in the area have noticed [a number] of our aircraft operating. So crews are doing a great job,” she said.
“We’ve got high fuel loads right across the state including in the Hunter and as we are now in this period of drying, which we obviously haven’t seen in the last few years, that fuel is very much drying out.
“So under conditions like we’re seeing today and certainly going into tomorrow where we’re expecting those winds to pick up, fires can start very quickly and spread very rapidly,” she said.
Locals are being advised to download the Hazards Near Me app to stay across the latest warnings.
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| Credit / Buladelah RFB / Facebook |
