NSW: Bushfires break out across the state

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NSW: Bushfires break out across the state

By Anthony Stavrinos

SYDNEY, Aug 13 AAP - Strong winds and dry conditions were hampering efforts to containthe state's worst winter fires in more than 50 years, NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) chiefPhil Koperberg said today.

About 20 bushfires had broken out across the state and worsened when winds strengthenedshortly after 3pm today, the RFS said.

"The bureau is talking about the possibility of some isolated showers," Mr Koperberg said.

"But what's happening at the moment is that the winds are so strong and so dry thatthe effect of any ... shower is soon negated.

"The other thing of greater concern is that there's no sign of a break in these drought-makingconditions and hence we're having fires in the last month of winter, the likes of whichwe haven't seen for over half a century."

However, he said based on forecast conditions, he expected all the fires would be containedin 36 to 48 hours.

"It's not a nice position to be in this side of the fire season, I'll say that. Wewould rather emerge from a wetter late winter with the prospect of some spring rain."

The worst blaze was on a property near Grafton in the Clarence Valley area on the state'smid-north coast, where more than 2,000 hectares were alight resulting in heavy smoke nearthe Orara Way, Mr Koperberg said.

He said 20 firefighting units and a total of about 75 personnel had been deployed tofight the fire and counter its threat to properties.

"There have been no properties lost but it's certainly hard fire-fighting," he said.

Another six fires were also burning in the Clarence Valley, bringing the fire-affectedarea there to a total of 3,500 hectares, he said.

A spokesman from Grafton police said there were no plans for any evacuations.

Most of the fires had occurred as a result of escaped hazard reduction burns, witharson being responsible for at least one of them, Mr Koperberg said.

While concerned about escaped hazard reduction burns, he said there was equal concernthat in some cases, neighbours of the people carrying out the burns had not been giventhe legally required 24 hours' notice.

But he said property owners should not be discouraged from carrying out hazard reductionburns but they should be done safely and lawfully.

In the state's north there was a bushfire close to the town of Tabulam, near Tenterfield,covering about 750 hectares.

Mr Koperberg said two fires at Great Lakes near the central coast were causing concernsfor property but should be contained by later this evening.

There were also fires on the south coast - in the Eurobodalla, Shoalhaven and Bega Valley areas.

AAP as/jnb/sb

KEYWORD: BUSHFIRES NSW NIGHTLEAD