Latest news with #BernardBarbetti
Asharq Al-Awsat
16-03-2025
- Climate
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Australia's New South Wales Sweats through Heatwave, Faces ‘Extreme' Bushfire Risk
Australia's New South Wales on Sunday sweated in a heat wave that raised the risk of bushfires and prompted authorities to issue a total fire ban for state capital Sydney. New South Wales, coming to the end of a high-risk bushfire season that runs until the end of March, was a focus of a catastrophic 2019-2020 "Black Summer" of wildfires that destroyed an area the size of Turkey and killed 33 people. On Sunday, the nation's weather forecaster said temperatures would be up to 12 degrees Celsius (21.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above average in some areas of the state, with temperatures in Sydney, Australia's most populous city, set to hit 37C (98.6F). At Sydney Airport, the temperature was already 29.3C (84.7 F) at 9:30 a.m. local time, more than three degrees above the March mean maximum temperature, according to forecaster data. Gusty winds, "hot conditions and low relative humidity will result in extreme fire danger over the greater Sydney region," the forecaster said on its website. The state's Rural Fire Service said on X that a total fire ban was in place for large swaths of the state including Sydney due to the forecast of "hot, dry and windy conditions". In neighboring Victoria state, a home was destroyed in a bushfire on the outskirts of Melbourne that was being battled by around 200 firefighters, Country Fire Authority official Bernard Barbetti told the Australian Broadcasting Corp on Sunday. Climate change is causing extreme heat and fire weather to become more common in Australia, a bushfire-prone country of around 27 million, the country's science agency said last year.
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Police arrest man suspected of lighting bushfires
A man has been arrested for allegedly lighting bushfires in South Australia's Riverland area. Several fires were reported within seven hours at Katarapko Island and Bookpurnong Road, south of Berri, late on Saturday night and early Sunday morning. Police patrols searched the area following reports a man was seen acting suspiciously, jumping in and out of the river. Advice #Bushfire - Monitor Conditions - #FOX #fire. Monitor local conditions and stay informed if you are in this area. Decide what you will do if the situation changes. #BAM ID=0008380 #SACFS — Country Fire Service (@CFSAlerts) March 16, 2025 A police helicopter spotted a man in the water at 1.30pm on Sunday and he was arrested. The Bookpurnong man, 48, is undergoing a medical assessment but is expected to face charges including causing a bushfire. In Victoria, a well-timed downpour helped firefighters bring a blaze that destroyed a home on the outskirts of Melbourne under control on Sunday. Flames swept through rugged terrain at Montrose in Melbourne's outer east about 9pm on Saturday, sparking an emergency warning for residents in its path. A home was lost and another significantly damaged after the out-of-control fire made a sudden run through the Ken Leversha Reserve. The fire, which started about 1km west of the Mount Dandenong Observatory, had scorched 33 hectares as of Sunday morning. The emergency warning was downgraded to a watch and act alert about 3.30am as some 200 firefighters, four helicopters and two bulldozers battled the blaze. Rain fell over the fire ground as water bombers continued dousing burning trees on Sunday. It was declared under control at 3.30pm with 26mm of rain recorded at Coldstream, just north of Montrose, since 9am. Ground crews will remain on site as flames burn within containment lines. "There was some concern that it may spot over and get over into the Dandenong Ranges, but I can't see that happening with the conditions today," Country Fire Authority incident controller Bernard Barbetti told ABC TV. Montrose is one of several suburbs in the foothills of the Dandenongs, Melbourne's highest point. About 25 residents took shelter in a relief centre at Kilsyth Sports Centre. There were high fire danger ratings on Sunday for all nine Victorian districts as the end of the summer bushfire season approached. High temperatures also have firefighters on high alert across vast swathes of NSW, including Sydney, ahead of an expected cool change on Sunday evening. The fire risk is rated extreme for greater Sydney and the Southern Slopes, with total fire bans active in those regions and two others.
The Guardian
16-03-2025
- Climate
- The Guardian
Rain comes to aid of firefighters after fast-moving blaze destroys Melbourne home
A well timed sprinkling of rain has come to the aid of firefighters battling a blaze that destroyed a home on the outskirts of Melbourne. The blaze swept through rugged terrain at Montrose in the city's outer east on Saturday night, sparking an emergency warning for residents in its path after igniting about 9pm. A home was lost and another significantly damaged after the out-of-control fire made a sudden run through the Dr Ken Leversha Reserve. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email The fire, which started about 1km west of the Mount Dandenong observatory, had scorched 33 hectares as of Sunday morning. The emergency warning was downgraded to watch and act alert about 3.30am as about 200 firefighters, four helicopters and two bulldozers battled the blaze. Rain has since fallen over the fire ground as water bombers continue to dose burning trees. Almost 10mm of rain has fallen at Coldstream, just north of Montrose, since 9am. Ground crews will remain on site into Sunday evening to prevent short-range spotting throwing embers towards nearby houses. 'I'm fairly confident that we won't lose any structures today,' Country Fire Authority incident controller Bernard Barbetti told ABC TV. 'There was some concern that it may spot over and get over into the Dandenong Ranges, but I can't see that happening with the conditions today.' Montrose is in the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges in Melbourne's outer east. About 25 residents took shelter in a relief centre at Kilsyth Sports Centre. Residents were not completely out of the woods due to a potential change in wind conditions. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion 'We expect a wind change about midday which may give us some more control problems, so that's why the watch and act is still in place,' Barbetti said. 'I'm fairly confident the fire won't spread much beyond its current area. 'But it's a long, unburnt area. There are a lot of dead trees.' All nine Victorian districts had high fire danger ratings on Sunday as the end of the summer bushfire season approaches. South Australian fire crews were battling blazes at Katarapko in the Riverland region and another bushfire 20km south of Lucindale in the state's lower south-east. Both were burning at advice level. High temperatures also had firefighters on high alert across vast swathes of NSW, including Sydney, ahead of an expected cool change arriving on Sunday evening. The fire risk was rated extreme for greater Sydney and the Southern Slopes, with total fire bans active in those regions and two others.
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Australia's New South Wales sweats through heatwave, faces 'extreme' bushfire risk
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's New South Wales on Sunday sweated in a heat wave that raised the risk of bushfires and prompted authorities to issue a total fire ban for state capital Sydney. New South Wales, coming to the end of a high risk bushfire season that runs until the end of March, was a focus of a catastrophic 2019-2020 "Black Summer" of wildfires that destroyed an area the size of Turkey and killed 33 people. On Sunday, the nation's weather forecaster said temperatures would be up to 12 degrees Celsius (21.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above average in some areas of the state, with temperatures in Sydney, Australia's most populous city, set to hit 37C (98.6F). At Sydney Airport, the temperature was already 29.3C (84.7 F) at 9:30 a.m. local time, more than three degrees above the March mean maximum temperature, according to forecaster data. Gusty winds, "hot conditions and low relative humidity will result in extreme fire danger over the greater Sydney region," the forecaster said on its website. The state's Rural Fire Service said on X that a total fire ban was in place for large swaths of the state including Sydney due to the forecast of "hot, dry and windy conditions". In neighbouring Victoria state, a home was destroyed in a bushfire on the outskirts of Melbourne that was being battled by around 200 firefighters, Country Fire Authority official Bernard Barbetti told the Australian Broadcasting Corp on Sunday. Climate change is causing extreme heat and fire weather to become more common in Australia, a bushfire-prone country of around 27 million, the country's science agency said last year.
