From Times Online
November 22, 2009

Wildfires sweep across eastern Australia

Anne Barrowclough in Sydney

Hundreds of homes in eastern Australia are under threat from huge wildfires as record temperatures and strong winds create the worst bushfire threat in 100 years in New South Wales.

A bushfire emergency warning, the highest level of alert, has been issued in four areas of central-west NSW as temperatures soar toward 40C and 1000 firefighters battle more than 100 blazes across the state.

As NSW swelters in record heat for late spring, authorities fear a repeat of February's devastating firestorm in Victoria in which 173 people died and entire towns were wiped out. 'Black Saturday', as February 7 has become known, led to the introduction of a new 'catastrophic' fire rating to describe uncontrollable and unpredictable conditions in which lives could be lost.

NSW received its first 'catastrophic' fire rating on Friday as scorching temperatures and severe lightning storms created conditions described by Nathan Rees, the states' premier, as 'unprecedented.'

"It has never been this hot, dry or windy in combination ever before,'' Mr Rees said, adding that 'extreme vigilance' would be imperative over the coming days.

Fires around the towns of Rylstone, Kandos and Clandulla about 105 miles (170 km) northwest of Sydney cast a smoke haze over the city and residents of the country towns were urged to leave the area if they were unprepared to fight fires on their properties.

."They really should be leaving to find a safer place," John Parnabay, incident controller at a fire control centre near Kandos and Rylstone said. "Now would be the right time to go to a neighbouring town," he said.

The fire at Rylstone, a town which acts as a gateway to the World Heritage-listed Wollemi National Park west of Sydney's Blue Mountains, is causing the most concern, after it broke through containment lines early today and swept toward the townships, despite the efforts of 170 firefighters aided by six helicopters and four planes.

Bonnie Farrell, a resident of Kandos, told ABC radio: "People are scared and I think the horrific winds at the moment make people even more on edge.

"I've been a bush girl all my life... this is the first time I've felt threatened as an adult, " she said.

She said she had the car packed ready to flee.

"The most important things are us and our pets - material things can be replaced over time ... that's why we've made the decision," she said.

Anthony Clarke from the Rural Fire Service said the fire being whipped up by strong north-westerly winds which were gusting at up to 70 mph.

The emergency warning meant it was now too late for people to leave the district, he said.

"We encourage people to now stay with their properties and work with firefighters to defend those homes," he said.

Rylstone shire farmer David Lee said he had decided to stay to protect his animals.

"I've got a few fields that have nothing on them, nothing to burn," he said.

"I'm confident enough to defend. If I have to I've got dams, I'll get a piece of poly pipe and off I'll go."

Earlier, the Rylstone Hospital was evacuated as a precaution.

The ambulance service said it had moved nearly all of the 19 patients to Gulgong, Mudgee and Bathurst hospitals.

However some relief is expected overnight as a southerly blows in, bring a dramatic drop in temperature.