The Morton mega bushfire front south of Sydney swept through the Southern Highlands overnight, destroying more properties, as firefighters aimed to use lower temperatures to their advantage.
Photo: SAEED KHAN / AFP
A cool change swept north through Victoria and New South Wales yesterday, dropping temperatures by up to 20C from the mid-40C temperatures experienced on Saturday.
At least 24 people have died since the fires began in September. Air quality in the capital Canberra was this weekend rated the worst in the world.
Firefighters in those states aimed to use the calmer conditions to their advantage and adequately prepare themselves for later in the week when temperatures are again predicted to soar.
However, two fires were still burning at emergency level in NSW overnight, with the Morton mega bushfire front in the Southern Highlands area south of Sydney ripping through properties in Wingello, Bundanoon and Kangaroo Valley.
Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned that the devastating bushfires raging in the country might go on for months.
Read more on the Australian bushfires:
- Two people die in bushfires that ravaged large parts of Kangaroo Island in South Australia.
- Bushfires threaten dozens of communities in Victoria, a southerly cool change fans problems in NSW, and more than a third of Kangaroo Island has burned in South Australia.
- Members of the Royal Family have said their "thoughts and prayers" are with Australians affected by the massive bushfires.
- Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been condemned for releasing videos on social media advertising his government's response to the bushfire crisis.
- The New South Wales rural fire service and fire authorities in Victoria fear hundreds of properties have been destroyed by the bushfires.
- A yellow haze is covering Auckland, as smoke from the Australian bushfires drifts over the North Island.
NSW: Morton fire devastates properties
Some stayed and defended their properties, while others could only watch on as their homes burned to the ground as a mega fire front swept through the NSW Southern Highlands overnight.
The RFS said five homes have been destroyed in Kangaroo Valley, the idyllic farming and tourism region south-west of Sydney, and it warned that figure could yet climb.
Some residents of the Kangaroo Valley area were forced to flee when the intensity of the fire reached homes up in the hills.
Kangaroo Valley firefighters said two forestry workers had to seek shelter in a dam when their ute caught alight and the fire front passed through dense bushland.
While conditions around the valley eased on Sunday, firefighters in the region continued to battle active fire fronts.
The fire tore through the valley when the Currowan bushfire jumped the Shoalhaven River - to become the Morton fire - late on Saturday night.
Ferocious southerly winds of up to 90 kilometres per hour propelled the blaze west from the NSW South Coast early Saturday evening, fanning flames directly into the valley's path
The speed and spread of the fire surpassed the modelling of the RFS as volatile conditions and a cool change swept through the region during the evening.
In Bundanoon, at least four homes were destroyed in the Morton fire as the fire front continued to savage the town on Sunday morning.
In the township of Wingello, the ruins of at least six houses as well as cars, trailers and farmland smouldered throughout Sunday as the town was left enveloped in smoke.
Victoria: fires treble in size as threat remains over alpine communities
Light rain will barely give firefighters the chance to "take a breath" before Victoria is likely to face another fire emergency in a few days, authorities say.
Fires incident controller Andy Gillham said some communities were threatened two or three times over Saturday, including a "very close call at Omeo", where Army helicopters evacuated people from the oval.
Gillham said light rain and cooler conditions in the state's east were "simply a reprieve", and people needed to prepare for more emergencies later this week.
"So the cool weather - all that means is we have a bit of time to take a breath in the fire fight, we have a bit of time to refocus, we have a bit of time to readjust and to try and somehow come to grips with what we have been seeing in the last few days in East Gippsland," he said.
On Saturday night, the Alpine township of Cobungra was hit by a bushfire that also threatened the townships of Dinner Plain and Mount Hotham.
Gillham said some of Victoria's fires trebled in size as they were fuelled by gusty winds and record temperatures in the north-east.
"We do know that there's likely to be losses, house losses in the Cobungra estate but we don't have any idea what that looks like yet," Gillham said.
He said some residents across East Gippsland and the north-east may be able to get access to their homes in coming days, but would likely be forced to leave again over Thursday and Friday as fire conditions worsen once more.
Communities south of the Alpine town of Myrtleford were urged to evacuate on Sunday afternoon as a bushfire burning near Mount Buffalo moved north.
In a warning issued about 2pm, authorities said Buffalo River Valley communities should head to Myrtleford, and those further west should head to Wangaratta.
Emergency warnings have also been in place for bushfires threatening communities at Wingan River and Club Terrace in East Gippsland.
Firefighters were able to protect the town of Corryong as it came under ember attack on Saturday night, but the fire destroyed properties in the smaller communities of Tintaldra and Towong.
One firefighter suffered burns last night in the Tintaldra area and was flown to Wangaratta for treatment.
In the High Country, there were concerns fires at Mount Buffalo could spark spot fires and threaten the town of Bright, but this did not eventuate.
- ABC / BBC