TRANSCRIPT:
Summer is well underway in New South Wales, with a sweltering weekend on the east coast seeing some 60 bush and grass fires wreaking havoc, destroying homes and taking the life of a firefighter.
The firefighter, who worked for the state's National Parks and Wildlife Service, was hit by a falling tree at about 10.45pm on Sunday [[7 Dec]] while trying to contain a fierce fire near Bulahdelah on the Mid North Coast.
Paramedics tried to help the man but he died at the scene.
Premier Chris Minns tells Channel Nine it's a sad day for the firefighting community and New South Wales residents as a whole.
"Authorities are in the process of contacting that firefighter's family. I can't say much more than that. We are heartbroken by this news. It is devastating. And it is a reminder of what firefighters have to do to keep the public safe. It is many ways a dangerous profession. And we are deeply indebted to the men and women who devote their time to keeping us safe. This is terrible news today."
The Rural Fire Service has confirmed 20 homes were destroyed in the Bulahdelah fire and another fire at Koolewong on the Central Coast, with weather conditions easing by Monday [[8 Dec]].
Over 250 firefighters, 50 trucks and nine aircraft were deployed to battle the Koolewong blaze at its peak.
Janice Rattray, a local resident, watched her family home of more than 11 years destroyed in minutes.
She fled to a nearby park with just her dog and the clothes on her back.
"We watched it burn. It was devastating, it was. We've got crisis accommodation through Diggers. We've got four nights there and we've had one night. And we've had some people offer us short term accommodation."
Her daughter's partner, Nick Gibbs was also with her.
He was forced to evacuate bare-foot with his 15-month-old boy strapped to his back.
"It's a whole lifetime's worth of stuff, gone. You know we had a beautiful piano, we had five beautiful guitars, Elise had seven surfboards here, just stuff that we've collected. Oscar's first drawings, Oscar's first toys."
Nick had to spend the night in hospital after suffering burns to his feet.
Richard Brown Barrison, a Point Clare resident, says he felt helpless watching neighbours affected by the fires.
"You feel helpless. I mean the first responders, firies, police, ambulance, marine rescue, everyone involved, they are doing a great job. You want to come down and sort of help but you are not a professional, but you would offer up your house for anyone because we all go to the local cafes, we all hang out in the local places, everyone know somebody who's been affected by this."
Federal and state disaster assistance funding has been activated across the Central Coast, Mid Coast, Upper Hunter, Muswellbrook, Warrumbungle and Dubbo.
Trent Curtin, Commissioner of the New South Wales Rural Fire Service, says it is a reminder for residents to be prepared for the fast and erratic way some fires develop.
"We've still got concerns in the Koolewong area at the moment for fire activity. As the southerly change comes through at the moment, we're seeing winds at about 40 kilometres an hour, with gusts higher than 40 kilometres per hour. This is an example of what we might see in the upcoming summer season. We are asking everyone to take this warning and to take the time now to prepare themselves."
While nine fires remain uncontained, there are no current emergency bushfire or heatwave warnings, although storms and damaging winds are expected to keep fire danger high across much of Australia.
Premier Chris Minns says emergency services have been told to prepare for a difficult December.
"Well, we had a good briefing with the commissioners of ambulance, RFS, SES and Fire Rescue New South Wales just last week, and the Bureau of Meteorology reported to us that December looks like hot winds coming in from the west a warmer Pacific Ocean and as a result, a very challenging bushfire season."
