Bushfire Update - Wingello State Forest closed

Bush Fire Situation

COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER

Information from Wingecarribee Fire Control on the bush fire situation in the Gulp
Road, Wingello area.
Friday 9 January 2009 – 2.00 pm

Section 44 Declared for Wingecarribee,
Shoalhaven and Mulwaree Rural Fire Districts

Overview

The fire was started by a lightning strike on Sunday 4 January 2009 and is currently being contained in the Morton National Park, approximately nine kilometres east of Wingello. At this stage, the fire has burnt around 1200 ha of forest.

Eighty firefighters from the NSW Rural Fire Service, Forests NSW, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and ACT Rural Fire Service have used the milder conditions to directly attack the fire and help identify further containment strategies.

Cooler weather today has significantly slowed the spread of the fire.
Water bombing aircraft are being used to suppress the fire and support firefighters on the ground. Heavy plant equipment continues to strengthen and deepen containment lines around the perimeter of the fire.

The containment lines along Johnsons Creek, Bundanoon Creek and Caoura Ridge Fire Trail continue to hold.

Backburning operations will commence when conditions allow.

Residents of Bundanoon, Penrose and Wingello should continue to expect some smoke throughout the area over the next few days as backburning takes place.

People with respiratory conditions should take all appropriate precautions if affected by smoke.

Favourable weather conditions are forecast over the next couple of days and residents should take this opportunity to prepare their homes in the event that severe weather causes the fire to breach containment lines.

There are currently no road closures in the area. *** (See update below) However, motorists should take appropriate precautions when driving in smoke affected areas.

Weather Forecast
Friday – Light to moderate E/SE winds. Maximum temperature near 19 degrees.
Saturday – Fine. Light to moderate E/NE wind. Maximum temperature near 22.
Sunday – Chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Maximum temperature in mid – high 20’s.

Specific Fire Information
For information on how to prepare for fire refer to www.wingecarribee.rfs.nsw.gov.au or
www.rfs.nsw.gov.au or for more information call 1800 679 737 or listen to you local radio stations.

If you need to report a new fire or need urgent assistance call 000
Authorised by: Superintendent Ashley Frank - Incident Controller

Issued by the Incident Management Team on behalf of the Commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service Working towards Communities 1

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The Rural Fire Service advised at 3.50pm that the

WINGELLO STATE FOREST

IS CLOSED TO ALL PERSONS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

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Thanks to the Rural Fire Service, and to the Southern Highlands Tourism and Dorothy from the Robertson Chamber of Commerce for forwarding these important notices.

I am publishing them here, as the ABC Local Radio, our designated Emergency Services Broadcaster has not relayed this information this afternoon or evening. Instead, we have been on State-wide and then national broadcast pattern, with no local fire updates.