10 January 2013

Total fire ban Friday

| johnboy
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ACT Emergency Services Agency Acting Commissioner Tony Graham has declared a Total Fire Ban for the whole of the ACT under Section 114 of the Emergencies Act 2004 from:

12:00am January 11, 2013 to 11:59pm January 11, 2013.

The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting a very hot day with west to northwesterly winds tomorrow with a predicted temperature of 36 degrees.

The forecast Fire Danger Rating for tomorrow in the ACT is predicted to be SEVERE.

If a fire starts at the forecast fire danger level of SEVERE it may be uncontrollable and move quickly. Flames may be higher than roof tops.

Expect embers to be blown around. Spot fires may occur up to 4 km ahead of the fire.

There is a chance people in the path of a fire may be injured or die. Some homes and businesses may be destroyed.

Well prepared and actively defended houses can offer safety during a fire.

Your home will only offer safety if it and you are well prepared and you can actively defend it during a fire.

The ESA advises you to make sure you know where you will get more information and monitor the situation for any changes. You can do this through local ACT media outlets, the ESA website www.esa.act.gov.au ,the ESA Twitter and Facebook accounts or by calling Canberra Connect on 13 22 81.

If a fire starts during the Total Fire Ban declaration period, the ESA advises you monitor the situation for any changes through local ACT media outlets, the ACT Emergency Services Agency website www.esa.act.gov.au or by calling Canberra Connect on 13 22 81.

To find out more about Total Fire Bans log on to the ACT Emergency Services Agency website www.esa.act.gov.au or call Canberra Connect on 13 22 81.

[Courtesy ESA]


UPDATE: TAMS have this to add:

Territory and Municipal Services wishes to advise that due to a total fire ban in place on Friday 11 January 2013 the following nature reserves and roads will be closed:

— Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve (the Visitor Centre will remain open);

— selected roads within Namadgi National Park including Apollo Road, Orroral Road, Old Mill Road, Warks Road, Mount Franklin Road at Piccadilly Circus, and the Corin Dam Road (the Namadgi Visitor Centre will remain open);

— Googong Foreshores;

— Lower Molonglo River Corridor; and

— Mulligans Flat Woodlands Sanctuary.

Note that the Boboyan Road and Brindabella Road remain open to through traffic.

Additionally Namadgi National Park, Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, Googong Foreshores as well as Kowen Forest will remain closed until 7 am Saturday 12 January 2013 in the interests of public safety.

For up-to-date Total Fire Ban declarations and more information about how they affect you, visit the ACT Emergency Services Agency website www.esa.act.gov.au

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DavidL The Yass Tribune have been doing a great job of broadcasting detail on their Facebook page and website, they have contact with fire control. No sign of the fire taking off yet.

I am pleased to advise that theNSW Rural Fire Service has reinstated the outline of the fire on the website. and updated the information. Very much thanks to them. I do find that I have to cross-check fire information http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/dsp_content.cfm?cat_id=683 with NSW Live traffic http://livetraffic.rta.nsw.gov.au/desktop.html and weather forecast (for Murrumbateman) http://www.weatherzone.com.au/nsw/southern-tablelands/murrumbateman in order to get an overview. If anyone else can suggest other helpful sites for this area I would be grateful for them.

The sad thing is the lack of information on the ‘Cobbler Road’ fire near Yass. The NSW Rural Fire Service has changed the rating and removed the outline of the fire from their map and have a fire symbol 20 kms to the west of where the fire front is. This morning on 666 the ABC interviewed, I think, Tony Graham, where he indicated that if that fire took off it would head towards Murrumbateman and the ACT. Guess what, the current wind direction would do just that. So the message is don’t rely on the fire information and take extra care. At this stage I wouldn’t avoid the Barton Highway but I would keep myself informed if planning to go that way.

That makes it “Total Fire ban Friday”, no?

TFBF… not to be confused with TGIF

Correct, my apologies.

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