New South Wales Declares Bush Fires ‘Contained’ After Devastating Season

Victor Westerkamp
By Victor Westerkamp
February 13, 2020Australia
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New South Wales Declares Bush Fires ‘Contained’ After Devastating Season
A firefighter from a local brigade works to extinguish flames after a bushfire burnt through the area in Bredbo, New South Wales, Australia, on Feb. 2, 2020. (Loren Elliott/Reuters)

The New South Wales Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) announced that all the state’s bushfires have been contained after a “very traumatic, exhausting and anxious bush fire season.”

“After what’s been a truly devastating fire season for both firefighters and residents who’ve suffered through so much this season, all fires are now contained in New South Wales,” fire service’s deputy commissioner Rob Rogers said in a video message to Twitter.

The video was accompanied by a text that read, “For the first time this season all bush and grass fires in NSW are now contained. It has taken a lot of work by firefighters, emergency services, and communities to get to this point.”

Not all fires were extinguished, as some smaller fires are still persevering in the far south of the state, but all fires are contained, Rogers said. The RFS can now concentrate on helping people build up their lives again.

All states in Australia suffered from the wildfires, but News South Wales was hit the hardest. Meteorologists blame the record-breaking wildfire season on intense heat combined with drought and strong winds.

The firefighters owe a lot to torrential rains that have been slashing the southeast areas for days now and have caused another impending natural disaster—flooding.

The NSW Bureau of Meteorology announced on Twitter that even more impetuous rainfall is to be expected as an ex-tropical cyclone named Uesi is making its way along the southeast coast.

“Satellite shows ex-tropical cyclone #Uesi tracking thru Tasman,” it said. “Trough lies along NSW coast that’s brought widespread rain NE NSW, esp Nthn Rivers & Mid-North. More rain forecast in north coast including ranges & slopes, to Coffs Harbour.”

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