Residents south-east of the Riveaux Road fire in Tasmania’s south are being warned to prepare for the blaze to jump the Huon River.
That blaze is threatening many communities in the Huon Valley, south of Hobart, and crept closer to population centres last night.Andrew McGuinness from the Tasmania Fire Service said people south-east of the fire needed to be ready.
“Of particular concern today are areas to the south-east of that fire.”Due to the predicted hot north-westerly winds, that’s going to tend to want to push the fire in a south-easterly direction for the majority of the day.Early Wednesday afternoon, TFS said areas of Castle Forbes Bay, Port Huon, Geeveston, and Cairns Bay were in direct line of fire given the prevailing winds.But TFS said it was happy with the way mopping up operations were going in the area in the comparatively benign conditions on Wednesday morning.
“The crews are making really good progress suppressing fire where it is safe to do … and to reduce the chances of it running into the areas of Port Huon and Geeveston this afternoon when those conditions worsen,” Mr McGuinness said.
“I would expect fire, both down in the Huon Valley and also in the Central Plateau, to make significant runs in a south-easterly direction throughout the day.
“Areas around Geeveston and south-east of Geeveston could be subjected to spot fires.”
Bushfire conditions are expected to rise to severe as firefighters begin to battle soaring temperatures and dry winds on what they say is the most dangerous day in Tasmania this week.
At 12:00pm AEDT Wednesday, there were 12 emergency warnings for bushfires burning across the state, nine in the south due to the Riveaux Road fire endangering the Huon Valley, and three on the Central Plateau.
An additional eight blazes were at watch and act and 14 were at advice.Mr McGuinness said the fire near Glen Huon was expected to flare up after “fairly moderate conditions overnight”.
“The fire has crept down to the back of an area known as Lightwood Creek Road, which is behind Glen Huon,” he said.”That fire behaviour, throughout the day, will increase and become erratic with the intensifying temperatures, drier air and increased winds.”
In the Glen Huon area, where the three houses were confirmed lost yesterday, Neil Randle posted time-lapse security from his front door camera as the fire approached his house.Mr Randle said he evacuated the area on January 26 when seven fire trucks and a helicopter “turned up”.
He said he and his family had two houses in the area, and that both had survived.
Roads closed and power out
The fires have begun to bite, with services cut to homes and business and homes destroyed.
Mr McGuinness said there were fears more properties may have been lost overnight.
“[I] wouldn’t be surprised if we hear of property losses around Castle Forbes Bay,” he said.
He said that if conditions did become severe, even firefighters could not defend properties.
The fires also forced the closure of a number of roads in all the bushfire affected areas, including Mt Anne, Tahune,
Central Highlands, Zeehan and the Huon Valley.Overnight, emergency services requested the power be cut to Birchs Bay, Flowerpot, Gordon, Kettering, Middleton and Woodbridge, affecting 728 customers. Power has now been restored.
Another 285 properties in Glen Huon and Judbury are without power because of the fires.
”We are starting to see the winds pick up on the plateau, and the temperatures increase – they’re just popping up over the mid 20s at the moment.”
Fire threat continues further north
The Central Plateau fire, burning east of Highland Lakes Road, in central Tasmania, could make a 20-kilometre run south towards Dennistoun Road, north of Bothwell.
Spotting is expected in this area this afternoon.
“People in those areas need to remain vigilant and alert to condition changes,” Mr McGuinness said.
Firefighters fatiguing as blazes drag on
The impact of the fires was felt far from the main front yesterday, with Hobart’s CBD engulfed by smoke on Tuesday and the TFS issuing a smoke alert.
Mr McGuinness said the smoke was having a particularly bad effect on the firefighters.
“The crews are struggling. The smoke is very fatiguing,” he said.