Photos - SARAH CHENHALL, Eden Magnet.
Photos - SARAH CHENHALL, Eden Magnet.
Photos - SARAH CHENHALL, Eden Magnet.
SATURDAY
UPDATED 11.43am: The 180 hectare bush fire is burning in the area around Millingandi and Yellow Pinch. The fire is burning in a north westerly direction in the Bournda Nature Reserve.
Residents along the Princes Highway between Wolumla and Millingandi are at threat from this fire. Properties on Red Gum Rd, Forest Lane and Yellow Pinch, north-west of Merimbula are advised to stay up to date with the fire conditions.
Firefighters have been working to establish containment lines. Two homes and two sheds have been destroyed in the fire.
The Princes Highway between Wolumla and Pambula has been reopened.
People in the area between Wolumla and Millingandi should continue to monitor the situation.
UPDATED 9.35am: The 180 hectare bush fire is burning in the area around Millingandi and Yellow Pinch. The fire is burning in a north westerly direction in the Bournda Nature Reserve.
Residents along the Princes Highway between Wolumla and Millingandi are at threat from this fire. Properties on Red Gum Rd, Forest Lane and Yellow Pinch, north-west of Merimbula are advised to stay up to date with the fire conditions.
Firefighters have been working to establish containment lines. Two homes and two sheds have been destroyed in the fire.
People in the area between Wolumla and Millingandi should continue to monitor the situation. Follow your Bush Fire Survival Plan.
Know what you will do if conditions change and fire affects your area.
UPDATED 5.05am: The 180 hectare bush fire is burning in the area around Millingandi and Yellow Pinch. The fire is burning in a north westerly direction in the Bournda Nature Reserve.
The RFS Alert level for this fire is `Watch and Act' and the fire's status is `Being Controlled'.
Residents along the Princes Highway between Wolumla and Millingandi are at threat from this fire. Properties on Red Gum Rd, Forest Lane and Yellow Pinch, north-west of Merimbula are advised to stay up to date with the fire conditions.
Firefighters have been working to establish containment lines. Two homes and two sheds have been destroyed in the fire.
People in the area between Wolumla and Millingandi should continue to monitor the situation. Follow your Bush Fire Survival Plan.
Know what you will do if conditions change and fire affects your area.
Merimbula's weather forecast for today courtesy of Weatherwatch: Cloudy. Isolated showers this morning. Winds SE/SW 15 to 25 km/h tending NE/SE in the afternoon. Daytime maximum temperatures 21 to 27.
FRIDAY
UPDATED 9.22pm: The fire is burning in the area around Millingandi and Yellow Pinch. The fire crossed the Princes Highway this afternoon into the Bournda Nature Reserve. The fire is burning in a northerly direction.
There is a threat to properties along the Princes Highway between Wolumla and Millingandi.
Firefighters and aircraft have been working to contain the fire. Two homes and two sheds have been destroyed in the fire.
People in the area between Wolumla and Millingandi should continue to monitor the situation. Follow your Bush Fire Survival Plan.
Know what you will do if conditions change and fire affects your area.
UPDATED 7.30pm: The fire has been reclassified as "Watch and Act."
Two homes and two sheds have been destroyed in the fire.
Animals at Potoroo Palace on the Princes Highway have been moved to the car park at Woolworths in Merimbula for their safety. The Princes Highway is still closed in both directions between Wolumla and Pambula.
The RFS are opening emergency evacuation centres at club sapphire in Merimbula and at the Bega showground.
Please don't enter the area trying to get a look at the fires - you're more likely to be a hindrance to emergency services than anything else.
The fire has spotted across the highway into the Bournda Nature Reserve.
The fire is currently impacting on properties around Forest Lane, Millingandi Road, Red Gum Road and Yellow Pinch Dam Road.
Emergency Alert telephone message has been issued to residents in the Wolumla Village area.
People to the north of the fire should head towards Bega along the Princes Highway. People to the south of the fire should head towards Merimbula. People to the south and east of Wolumla Village should leave now and move to Bega, if it is safe to do so.
UPDATED 6.24pm: The fire has crossed the Princes Highway. The fire has spotted across the highway into the Bournda Nature Reserve.
Two homes and two sheds have been destroyed in the fire.
The fire is currently impacting on properties around Forest Lane, Millingandi Road, Red Gum Road and Yellow Pinch Dam Road. The Emergency Alert telephone message has been issued to residents in the Wolumla Village area.
People to the north of the fire should head towards Bega along the Princes Highway. People to the south of the fire should head towards Merimbula. People to the south and east of Wolumla Village should leave now and move to Bega, if it is safe to do so.
UPDATED 5.55pm: House under threat at rear of Potoroo Palace.
UPDATED 5.03pm: The fire has jumped the Princes Highway at Yellowpinch. It is burning actively at the chlorinator. At this stage it has been confirmed that one shed at the back of Potoroo Palace, a wildlife sanctuary has burnt down.
The fire has spotted across the highway into the Bournda Nature Reserve and is currently impacting on properties around Forest Lane, Millingandi Road, Red Gum Road and Yellow Pinch Dam Road.
Emergency Alert telephone message has been issued to residents in the Wolumla Village area.
People to the north of the fire should head towards Bega along the Princes Highway. People to the south of the fire should head towards Merimbula. People to the south and east of Wolumla Village should leave now and move to Bega, if it is safe to do so.
UPDATED 4.30pm: The fire at Millingandi has crossed the Princes Hwy. The fire has spotted across the highway into the Bournda Nature Reserve.
The fire is impacting on properties around Forest Lane, Millingandi Road, Red Gum Road and Yellow Pinch Dam Road.
People to the north of the fire should head towards Bega along the Princes Highway. People to the south of the fire should head towards Merimbula. People to the south and east of Wolumla Village should put their Bush Fire Survival Plan into action.
UPDATED 3.56pm
A BUSHFIRE has broken out south of Bega in the Millingandi area and is threatening properties and also the Potoroo Palace wildlife park.
Police at 3.30pm closed the Princes Hwy between Wolumla and the Millangandi area.
Residents on Yellow Pinch Drive have been evacuated and staff at Potoroo Palace were desperately trying to move animals with the dingoes and koalas the priority.
Southerly conditions hit Merimbula airport at around 3pm bringing blustery conditions and potentially pushing the fire north.
Some residents refused to be evacuated saying they had their own Bush Fire Safety Plans.
Go to www.rfs.nsw.gov.au website or download the “Fires Near Me” app for mobile phones.
UPDATED 2:53pm:
A fire is burning approximately 5 kilometres west of Merimbula, 2 kilometres west of the Merimbula bypass and has been classified as `Emergency Warning' as at 2.53pm Friday.
The fire is burning in a south-easterly direction. Some rural properties may come under threat near Upper Boggy Creek Road.
A southerly change is expected to reach the area soon. Properties in the Redgum Road, Yellow Pinch Dam Road, Forest Lane, Millingandi Road and north of Merimbula Bypass may be under threat as a result of the wind change.
Firefighters and aircraft are working to contain the fire.
RFS Advice
If you are in this area and you are not prepared, or your plan is to leave, leave via the Princes Highway north towards Bega now, before conditions become too dangerous with the southerly wind change.
Other information
If your life is at risk, call Triple Zero (000) immediately.
Continue to stay up to date with the bush fire situation by checking http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au, listening to your local radio station or by calling the NSW RFS Bush Fire Information Line on 1800 679 737.
If you live in the area but are away from home, it may not be safe to return to your property.
For information on road closures, check http://livetraffic.rta.nsw.gov.au. Roads may be closed without warning.