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Orroral Valley fire downgraded from watch and act to advice level as Scott Morrison tells National Press Club there’s much to learn from this summer’s fires. Follow live news and latest updates
Let’s do a quick recap of what we know.
Good news. The ACT Emergency Services Agency has downgraded the Orroral Valley fire from watch and act to an advice level. It says there is now limited activity on the eastern edge of the fire, although there is an increase in fire activity on the western side of the fire.
I’ll leave Morrison there because he moves on to emissions reductions and then, of course, questions about the controversial sports grants program overseen by Bridget McKenzie.
Morrison: As the years pass, though, we note that the bush grows back and fuel loads increase and people move in in still larger numbers to live in fire-prone areas and dangerous fires occur again in a cycle which we must break. We must continue to [learn] from this fire season so we are better prepared for the next one because, of course, there’ll be one.
Morrison points to the use of Australian defence force reservists as evidence the government has responded to the crisis, but says before the next bushfire season he will look at legislative changes including giving the commonwealth the power to declare a national state of emergency. He also flags changes to the “legal interface” between the commonwealth and states and territories on responsibilities when it comes to preparing for and responding to natural disasters and emergencies on a national scale.
He says that before the events of this summer the role of the commonwealth in responding to natural disasters “has been limited to responding to requests for assistance for state governments”. “The scale of the bushfires this season, not least their simultaneous reach across many borders, has demonstrated to me the limits of these arrangements,” he says.
Morrison says the events of this summer have “reminded us that our national security is also about our preparedness, responsiveness and resilience to the natural disasters and the environment we will live in – today, over the next decade, and well beyond”.
Morrison says that “amidst this devastation” it has been “humbling to see Australia as its best”. In recounting the stories of their selflessness as I did on Australia Day, my message was very simple: this is the greatness of Australia. This is the strength of Australia. This is why, as a people, we always overcome and prevail. Australia is strong, but we must become even stronger.
The prime minister, Scott Morrison, begins his National Press Club address by acknowledging the families who have lost loved ones throughout the bushfire season. Your sorrow hangs heavy on our nation’s heart and that heart is extended also to all of those who now face the daunting task of rebuilding homes, livelihoods, businesses, and local communities. “We’ll be with you for the long haul. Many Australians, as well as our loyal friends from overseas who are standing here with us, remain on those frontlines today at some 75 or so fires burning around the country.
It’s not just the ACT that will see dangerous fire conditions increase as we get closer to the weekend. In the coming days temperatures are expected to exceed 40C in Adelaide, Canberra and Melbourne, while some places, such as Cummins in South Australia, Echuca in northern Victoria and Griffith in inland NSW, are expected to reach 45C. BOM meteorologist Diana Eadie told AAP on Wednesday that a hot air mass causing scorching temperatures across large parts of Western Australia will move across the country along with an increase in humidity. “As a result we’re expecting severe to extreme heatwave conditions to develop across much of the south-east of Australia,” she said. Eadie said many areas would experience uncomfortable overnight temperatures, including Adelaide where it would not drop below 28C on Friday. “That’s why we’re seeing those severe to extreme heatwave conditions because when you don’t get those temperatures dropping off overnight, it doesn’t allow the body to recover.” Eadie said the heatwave would bring elevated fire dangers, peaking on Thursday in South Australia, Friday in Victoria and Tasmania, and Saturday in fire-affected areas including the ACT and southern parts of NSW. “Whilst we’ll see those warm temperatures and strengthening winds, it’s not as dry as what we’ve seen with previous events, which is why at this stage we’re only forecasting severe fire dangers,” she said. “It’s not quite as dangerous as previous situations ... because we do have that moisture over fire-affected areas.”
from fires in the and southern is seen here streaming into the Tasman Sea. Heatwave conditions will raise fire dangers in coming days, heat peaking Saturday. For the latest fire info : Latest forecast:
Some Australians are ignoring potentially life saving emergency alerts during disasters because they fear they are being scammed, says Queensland University of Technology associate professor Amisha Mehta. Mehta has told AAP that emergency alerts with a link to a website are often mistaken as a scam or computer virus by younger and older people.
Remember when the ACT was hit by a vicious hailstorm... last week.
It was a long & challenging time for crews who were inundated with 2,200+ calls for assistance following the hail storm last week. With some added help from crews, the weekend saw the long list of jobs tick down to ‘0’. A pleasing sight for sore eyes!!
I’ve just spoken to Abrar Shabren, a forecaster from the Bureau of Meteorology, who has given me a rundown on the weather fire crews in the ACT will face in the coming days. While the temperature will rise quite steeply as this afternoon goes on, with a forecast high of 36C, quite benign easterly and south-easterly winds are expected to keep things in check.
Looks like the bulk of Scott Morrison’s press conference will be about the unfolding coronavirus but he begins by calling the fires in Canberra “a reminder again that we’re a long way from the end of this bushfire season”.
The Orroral Valley fire in the ACT has now burnt through 10,079 hectares.
WATCH & ACT - ORRORAL VALLEY FIRE - 29 January 2020, 11:30am
The prime minister, Scott Morrison, is about to give a press conference in Canberra. I’ll let you know if he touches on plans to expand the powers of the commonwealth to respond to national emergencies, which is expected to be a key focus of his National Press Club address today.
Moving briefly to South Australia, AAP reports that authorities are bracing for a day of severe fire danger with special work to be conducted on the Kangaroo Island fire ground. Earthmoving equipment, water tankers and extra fire crews are being sent to strategic locations ahead of a day of high bushfire risk. The blaze is officially contained but the Country Fire Service says crews are still finding hotspots in various areas including Blue Gum Hills, Cygnet River and Vivonne Bay.
From Tuesday night. A lot of ACT residents are comparing this fire to the devastating 2003 blaze.
Just a reminder of where we’re at. On Monday, a defence helicopter landed in the Namadgi national park, south of Canberra, and accidentally sparked what authorities have called the city’s “most serious” bushfire threat since the city’s devastating 2003 fires. Tuesday saw dramatic images of the fire approaching Canberra’s southern suburbs, but conditions eased throughout the evening and the fire was downgraded from emergency level to watch and act just before midnight.
As Luke has written, fire crews are making the most of today’s milder conditions before the expected temperature rise tomorrow and on Saturday. Today ACT emergency service personnel, police and defence force members are door knocking in the southern Canberra suburbs of Banks, Gordon and Conder.
That’s all from me for now. My colleague Michael McGowan will be taking over for a while. And a reminder that Scott Morrison will be addressing the National Press Club this afternoon.
some comments from the ACT Emergency Services Agency’s incident controller, Matthew Shonk, who says authorities do not expect the fire to return to emergency level today. But Shonk says the fire is not going to be put out today or tomorrow and that conditions will worsen in coming days.
The size of the fire is 10,079ha, according to the latest update from the ACT Emergency Services Agency.
Whelan on what she called “disaster tourism”. “We’d had a number of reports from residents in the southern suburbs of the significant amount traffic coming into the southern suburbs last evening,” she said.
We are seeing some amazing photographs of the Canberra fire. Many of these photographs will have come from safe vantage points or from a person’s own property. However, the ACT’s emergency services agency commissioner, Georgeina Whelan, is asking people not to engage in “disaster tourism” by heading to head to Canberra’s southern suburbs an Instagram shot.
ACT ESA Commissioner update on , notes "disaster tourism" i.e. people heading 2 southern suburbs to take photos. "Taking a great photo for Instagram is not worth your life. It is not worth slowing down my staff, who are working to keep Canberra safe."
Last night the fires sat to the south of the station. Although pretty impressive, the station is not under threat. Matt who was looking after the station last night took the pictures.
Scott Morrison will address the National Press Club today – and excerpts of his speech indicate a key theme will be expanding the powers of the commonwealth to respond to national emergencies. First, Morrison describes the problem as he sees it:
This is some incredible footage from Martin Ollman, a photographer in Canberra.
RAW timelapse footage of the last few hours - Orroral Valley fire -Out of control
The weather over the coming days is expected to be very dry and hot in Canberra, the Bureau of Meteorology says. Wednesday is tipped to reach 36C, with the city shrouded in a smoke haze. Thursday will hit 39C, with more smoky conditions, while Friday the mercury will increase to at top 42C.
for the Orroral Valley fire warns residents in Tharwa Village, Boboyan Road, Apollo Road, and Top Naas Road to remain vigilant. “Monitor conditions and know what you will do if the fire threatens,” the ACT Emergency Services Agency says. “If you do not need to be in this area, it is still best for your safety to not enter or return.”
Yesterday, a fire started by a defence helicopter which landed in the Namadgi national park, south of Canberra, sparked what authorities called the city’s “most serious” bushfire threat since the city’s devastating 2003 fires. The Orroral Valley fire has burnt through 9,500 hectares and is expected to grow, although it is now at a watch and act level. Moderate conditions overnight allowed firefighters at the scene to strengthen containment lines.
Good morning and welcome to our coverage of the bushfires threatening Canberra today. I’m Luke Henriques-Gomes.
A Brooklyn woman was charged in connection with three separate anti-Semitic attacks against Orthodox Jewish women who were walking in their neighborhoods during Hanukkah, according to a criminal complaint unsealed on Monday in federal court.
