Residents are being told to take shelter as a bushfire burns toward a rural town in the New South Wales Hunter region.
Key points:
- The fire at Scone is burning in the direction of the town of Segenhoe
- The Rural Fire Service says the fire is burning quickly and is at about 100 hectares in size
- On the state’s mid north coast, residents are on alert at Bretti with a grass fire burning out of control
The bushfire burning at Barton Street, east of Scone, is headed in an easterly direction toward the town of Segenhoe.
The fire has recently been downgraded from emergency to the watch and act level.
A west to south-westerly wind is expected across the fireground in the late afternoon, which is expected to push the fire north-east.
NSW Rural Fire Service’s James Morris says significant resources are being mobilised to respond to the fire at Scone.
“We’ve got strike teams coming in from the Lower Hunter, from Tamworth,” he said.
“We’ve also got the large air tanker which will be deployed in and around that area shortly to try and support [the] protection of homes and properties in that location.”
Mr Morris says the conditions are expected to deteriorate on Sunday afternoon and evening.
“The fire originally started in grassland, but it has started to burn into some shrubby and timid country so that will see that fire be supported by a lot more significant fuel in that location,” he said.
The fire is currently burning at about 100 hectares.
The RFS says it expects it will take “days” until the Barton St fire is brought under control.
It has confirmed there is currently no threat to the township of Scone.
Roads close as fire nears
Large amounts of livestock are being evacuated in the rural area.
Scone’s White Park is open as an animal evacuation centre and the Scone saleyards will be open soon.
Gundy Road is closed between Barton Street in Scone and north-east towards Glen Creek Road.
On the state’s mid north coast a grassfire is burning out of control at Bretti, west of Wingham at Watch and Act level.
Residents at Bretti and Tibbuc are being advised to prepare now, with the fire burning eastward, and currently burning at more than 300ha.
“We may see road closures in those areas particularly Thunderbolt’s Way [at the Bretti Fire],” Mr Morris said.
Earlier on Sunday, a campground at Bretti was evacuated as a precaution.