Rainfall brings slight reprieve to NSW firegrounds

NSW fire crews are hopeful rain has settled bushfires but warn there's still a lot of active fire burning across the state.

NSW RFS crews extinguish a fire that crossed the Monaro Highway, four kilometres north of Bredbo.

NSW RFS crews extinguish a fire that crossed the Monaro Highway, four kilometres north of Bredbo. Source: AAP

NSW fire crews are hopeful widespread rains have settled bushfires burning across the state.

NSW Rural Fire Service spokesman James Morris said rain fell across most firegrounds on Sunday evening but warned there was still a lot of active fire across the state.
Crews used more favourable conditions on Sunday to contain the Morton fire which has burnt more than 23,000 hectares in the Southern Highlands and the 333,900-ha Dunns Road blaze in the Snowy Mountains.

Conditions are expected to ease on Monday with cooler weather forecast in southern NSW but a high fire danger is in place for most of the state.

It follows a difficult day on Saturday where multiple blazes flared up sparking fears of property loss.
Strong winds and high temperatures on Saturday night pushed the massive 177,000-hectare Border fire north towards Bega Valley while three separate blazes burning southwest of the region merged into one.

Bega Valley Shire Council Mayor Kristy McBain said an unconfirmed number of homes were lost in Wyndham and Tantawangalo in the blazes.

She said the losses will push the total number of properties destroyed in the Bega Valley to more than 400.
Jessie Collins at her dad's property in Cobargo, NSW, 10 January 2020.
Jessie Collins at her dad's property in Cobargo, NSW, 10 January 2020. Source: AAP
The NSW RFS said there had been reports of property loss but building impact assessment teams hadn't yet been able to access firegrounds.

There are also unconfirmed reports five structures were lost when the out-of-control Clear Range blaze, created from embers that spread from the ACT's large Orroral Valley fire, flared up on Saturday night.

There were 70 fires burning in NSW as of Sunday evening with 30 not yet contained.


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Rainfall brings slight reprieve to NSW firegrounds | SBS News