https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-25/tasmania-braces-for-worst-fire-day-in-years/10747262?fbclid=IwAR2PIwROxh27hnrV_2Loeml4F8CLvT0Zc5CFuZGoyj9jRB-lQf_vbAqTqU8
Tasmanian fire threat rolls on for Geeveston, Central Plateau; Zeehan downgraded
Updated
A number of major fire fronts in Tasmania have emergency services stretched to the limit, with residents in several towns told to flee as bushfires, stoked by dry conditions and wind, sweep across the island.
Key points:
- Friday was forecast to be the "worst fire danger day of the season"
- A state-wide total fire ban is in place until 2:00am on Monday
- Listen to ABC Local Radio or visit the TFS website for more information
On Friday night, The Tasmania Fire Service was closely monitoring about 60 active fires, with three — Tahune in the south-east, Western Hills on the west coast and the Central Plateau — the main areas of concern.
While the threat of dry lightning strikes did not fully eventuate, major bushfire fronts — fuelled by extremely dry conditions and heat — forced the evacuation of towns across the state.
Fire fighting teams, some from interstate or overseas, joined with waterbombing aircraft to battle the blazes, some of which have been burning since before Christmas and are threatening precious wilderness areas.
The community of Zeehan, on Tasmania's west coast, won a slight reprieve Friday afternoon, with the emergency warning level alert downgraded to a watch and act status, with a nearby fire at Western Hills burning in an easterly direction.
The TFS has advised the fire, which has burnt across almost 4,000 hectares "remains uncontained" and "under these conditions will be uncontrollable, unpredictable and fast moving".
Earlier, people were instructed to evacuate to Queenstown, where a basketball centre was repurposed as a haven for those fleeing.
Tourist Trevor Fiedler left the Zeehan caravan park Friday morning and headed to Queenstown after the owner told campers to evacuate.
"We got a message about a quarter to seven that it was time for us to evacuate, pronto, and everyone was on the move pretty quickly."
The West Coast Mayor Phil Vickers is one of many Zeehan residents who have chosen to stay and try to defend their property.
"I've got a plan, got infrastructure to look after," he told ABC Local Radio earlier Friday. "It's all cleared, got the hoses out, it's all good."
Mr Vickers said many Zeehan residents also chose to evacuate early Friday morning.
Tahune fire still a major threat
As of 6:12pm Friday, a fire burning near a popular tourist attraction in the state's south-east had the nearby communities of Castle Forbes Bay, Geeveston, Port Huon, Cairns Bay and Waterloo at emergency warning level.
The fire, which has been burning near the Tahune Airwalk since January 16, has taken out about 2,000 hectares of bushland, with residents living nearby urged to evacuate to Huonville, about 20 kilometres north.
Frederick Leech left Geeveston and made his way to the evacuation centre at Huonville Police and Community Youth Club early Friday morning.
"You gain nothing by staying, that's why I went early," he said.
Carol Hardy fled Geeveston with her son and dog, but her husband stayed behind to protect their property.
"They said this afternoon it is going to get very windy like it is now, with lots of embers.
"Hubby is up there with a hose on the roof."
Geeveston resident Arol Geeves said on Friday morning he was ready to leave if the Tahune fire impacted on the town.
Mr Geeves said he would travel to his daughter's home at Kingston, near Hobart, if things got worse.
"I got a lot of my tools packed up in the back of the [car] there," Mr Geeves said.
"Everything's ready to go, I've got a lot of stuff packed in the car."
'Can't let our guard down'
Earlier Friday afternoon, Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Simon McCulloch said expected thunderstorms — which authorities feared would bring lightning strikes — had yet to develop.
"The likelihood of dry thunderstorms has diminished as the day has gone on. There's still a light risk of that occurring — there's some thunderstorm activity, a quite a significant change going through Melbourne at the moment, and some thunderstorms over eastern Victoria may extend down into north-eastern Tasmania and Flinders Island later on today," he said.
"The good news is that, as cooler conditions are developing for tomorrow, there's no sharp wind change, the winds are going from this gusty north-westerly to westerly, eventually south-westerly and southerly.
Chief Fire Officer Chris Arnol said the bushfires have "continued to spread, with the fire activity being very erratic".
"It remains hot, windy, and the fuels are incredibly dry in this state right now. We've still got a long way to go today, and we can't underestimate the situation that we are in."
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