FIREFIGHTERS across the state started the week battling over 40 blazes, with several significant and destructive fires mere kilometres away from townships on the Myall Coast.
The largest and most concerning blaze, as of Sunday 7 December, burnt through 3431 hectares of grassland along the Pacific Highway and through Myall Lakes National Park between Nerong and Crawford River, the smoke from which was clearly visible from Tea Gardens.
That day, school buses carrying students home from Bulahdelah Central School were held up in traffic as the highway was closed in both directions due to heavy smoke and the yet uncontrolled conditions.
The school buses were eventually escorted to Nerong and beyond, aborting a local initiative to send a vessel up the Myall River to bring the children in that way.
Over the following days, NSW RFS crews from across the Mid Coast district, from Wauchope to Pindimar and practically every brigade in between, answered the call for volunteers.
Many pulled 12-hour shifts, day and night, in attempts to control the fireground in up to 35-degree heat.
Aircraft have been launching from Bulahdelah Showground as the RFS trucks marshall just below, and are being sent off down Booral, Old Schoolhouse and Myall River roads.
On the northern edge, firefighters have held the fire south of Booral Road in the Crawford River area, while firefighters have implemented backburns along the Pacific Highway, with further backburns undertaken where conditions allow. Understandably, this causes an increase in fire activity and visible smoke.
Some fires are burning in untraversable terrain that only the aircraft can reach.
Firefighters’ efforts were assisted to a limited degree by the cool change on Sunday, with southerly winds reversing the path of fires previously fanned by north-easterly winds.
“While firefighters work to control the fire, crews may be operating along local roads, including the M1 Pacific Motorway,” an RFS NSW representative said.
“This could result in traffic disruptions, and the M1 may be temporarily closed during tactical operations.
“Booral Road and numerous roads in the area are closed, and roads may be closed without warning.
The M1 Pacific Highway was open as of Monday but may also close at short notice.
Motorists are advised to check road closures on Live Traffic NSW and follow the direction of emergency services personnel.
Information about the fires is on the Hazards Near Me app.
Authorities are urging citizens to avoid jumping to potentially harmful conclusions based on unsubstantiated or unofficial social media posts.
By Thomas O’KEEFE
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