New South Wales is bracing for a devastating bushfire season, with over 20 fires currently burning uncontained. The NSW government has declared a natural disaster in several areas, including the Central Coast and Mid North Coast, due to the severe conditions.
The situation is dire, with multiple homes destroyed or damaged by flames, including more than 12 at Koolewong and four at Bulahdelah. Authorities are urging residents to prepare for strong winds on Sunday, which could exacerbate the situation.
Firefighters are doing their best to contain the blazes, but the outlook remains grim. "We're not out of the woods yet," said Rural Fire Service deputy commissioner Ben Millington, warning that the southerly change forecasted for Sunday morning could bring more challenging conditions.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has warned that this summer's bushfire season will be particularly difficult, citing pre-existing conditions in New South Wales. While no loss of life has been reported so far, authorities are on high alert and urging caution.
The damage assessment is ongoing, with teams from NSW Police and the RFS working to determine the cause of the fires. Federal and state disaster assistance funding has been activated for affected areas, providing support for residents, businesses, primary producers, and councils.
As the situation unfolds, experts warn that unfavourable winds could persist for several hours on Sunday, making it a treacherous day for firefighters. Cooler conditions are forecasted to follow, but the damage is already being felt across NSW.
The situation is dire, with multiple homes destroyed or damaged by flames, including more than 12 at Koolewong and four at Bulahdelah. Authorities are urging residents to prepare for strong winds on Sunday, which could exacerbate the situation.
Firefighters are doing their best to contain the blazes, but the outlook remains grim. "We're not out of the woods yet," said Rural Fire Service deputy commissioner Ben Millington, warning that the southerly change forecasted for Sunday morning could bring more challenging conditions.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has warned that this summer's bushfire season will be particularly difficult, citing pre-existing conditions in New South Wales. While no loss of life has been reported so far, authorities are on high alert and urging caution.
The damage assessment is ongoing, with teams from NSW Police and the RFS working to determine the cause of the fires. Federal and state disaster assistance funding has been activated for affected areas, providing support for residents, businesses, primary producers, and councils.
As the situation unfolds, experts warn that unfavourable winds could persist for several hours on Sunday, making it a treacherous day for firefighters. Cooler conditions are forecasted to follow, but the damage is already being felt across NSW.
. It's not just the homes that are getting destroyed, but also the mental health of all those people who've lost everything 
. I mean, have you seen the videos of the flames engulfing Koolewong? It's like something out of a horror movie 
! The government should be doing more to prevent these fires or at least prepare residents better for disasters like this. I'm not saying they're not trying, but it feels like we're always playing catch-up when it comes to natural disasters. We need to do more to support our firefighters and those who've lost their homes 
.
20 fires burning outta control and the gov's declaring disasters everywhere 
like how much more can this state take 
these southerly winds are gonna be WILD 
fingers crossed the rain comes soon to put out the fires 
20 fires burning out of control? that's like, whoa... authorities need to step up their game ASAP, firefighters are doing their best but it's not looking good. winds on sunday could make things even worse... like, what can go wrong?! 
anyway, gotta stay tuned and hope for the best! 
. They're activating disaster funding and all, but it's about time, not like that's gonna make a huge difference when the damage is already done 
. And don't even get me started on the southerly change forecasted for Sunday... just great, just what we need more bad weather 
.
. Like, 20 fires burning at once? That's crazy! 
️
The wind on Sunday could make things even worse, which is super concerning for the firefighters 
. We need some rain already, please 
. Can we get some relief soon? 
.
. And what's with this southerly change forecast? 
. Still praying for everyone affected 
At least the government's activated that disaster funding, that's a good start 
. Anyway, fingers crossed for those affected, hope it doesn't get too worse 
20+ fires burning out of control in NSW? This isn't new, mate... we've been hearing about this for years. Pre-existing conditions and all that jazz. But you know what's not getting enough attention? The fact that our emergency services are still underfunded 
.
