Culture

Finally Some Good News: The NSW Bushfires Are Officially Contained

"We can't have a bushfire relief fund going at the same time as a flood fund. Everyone around the world will think we're frauds. "

by Rachael Conaghan  14 February 2020
australian bushfires

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For the first time this bushfire season, all the bushfires that have cursed the state of New South Wales have been contained.

Firefighters are celebrating after “a very traumatic, exhausting and anxious bushfire season” that has seen fires burning uncontrolled for months.

One fire, the Gospers Mountain blaze north-wet of Sydney, burned through more than 512,000 since late October before being extinguished by rain this week.

Another one near Port Macquarie had been burning since July 18 — 210 days — before being doused in a huge downpour.

There are still 24 fires burning across the southern part of the state, but for the first time this season they are all contained.

While the rain has given firefighters a reason to celebrate, in some areas it’s also led to a different kind of disaster.

In New South Wales more than 100,000 people were left without power after wild weather over the weekend.

Between 200 and 400mm of rain fell over Sydney, the Central Coast and the Blue Mountains from 9am last Friday to 5pm last Sunday. A severe thunderstorm warning was issued for the east coast, and residents in some areas of north and south-west Sydney were evacuated.

Flood warnings were also in place across northern New South Wales and southern Queensland.

More rain is expected for much of the NSW coast over the weekend as Tropical Cyclone Uesi moves south, after batting Lord Howe Island this week.