The bushfire that tore through parts of Port Stephens last week is now “under control”, but firefighters are still working to strengthen containment lines in anticipation of the hotter weather set to hit the region in the coming days.
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Close to 200 firefighters were on the ground in Tomago, Williamtown, Raymond Terrace and Campvale on the weekend fighting a fire that was fuelled on by the same erratic weather that started it.
NSW Rural Fire Service district officer Bert Pipan said hot, dry, windy and then wet conditions made fighting the fire tough.
“We had rain each night last week, which hindered our control efforts,” he said. “We couldn’t make our containment lines as strong as we would have liked them.
“But we’ve been strengthening our containment lines over the weekend. With the onset of hotter weather later this week, we’ve been making sure we have everything right for those conditions.”
The bushfire, which on Wednesday had burnt 2191 hectares of bushland, started in Masonite Road, Tomago on Monday, January 8. It was caused by a lightning strike.
Mr Pipan said up to 50 firefighters had been monitoring the fire throughout the week.
The fire was under control until gale-force winds on Saturday, which reached 80km/h, quickly escalated the fire threat from “advice” to “emergency” and it raced towards Williamtown.
Firefighters spent most of Saturday afternoon battling to save rural properties along Cabbage Tree Road, Masonite Road and Barrie Close. They were assisted by a large air tanker called ‘Nancy Bird’ and several water-bombing aircraft.
“It went though about 50 miles an hour, I reckon,” Cabbage Tree Road resident John Hill told Fairfax Media. “It just took off. It was unbelievable.”
Cabbage Tree Road residents Rhianna and Cain Gorfine stood alongside fire crews as flames licked within 50 metres of their back boundary, while burning trees fell around them.
A neighbour rushed their three children to safety.
“When it started moving down the side of our property, they got a [fire] truck in,” Ms Gorfine told Fairfax Media.
“It got really windy and that was the hairiest time. The bush right next to the paddock went up.
“We're just very fortunate there aren't a lot of other fires going on and that resources could be put to the Hunter.”
She described an eerie calm descending over the fire ground as the winds dropped and the flames died down.
“It’s very surreal,” she said at the time.
The bushfire forced periodic closures of Newcastle Airport and the cancellation of all flights due to plumes of smoke in the area. Richardson Road between Medowie Road and Benjamin Lee Drive was also closed.
The road was reopened to traffic on Tuesday morning, however a 40km/h speed restriction is in place until smoke caused by the bushfire clears.
On Saturday evening, a strong southerly change saw the fire shift towards Raymond Terrace and Campvale. The alert level was downgraded to watch and act, with cooling temperatures and light rain giving crews the upper hand.
A second day of gale-force winds on Sunday quickly whipped the fire back into action and residents were issued an emergency alert.
“It went to red alert quite suddenly on Sunday, it was very frightening,” Campvale resident Ruth Lunney told Fairfax Media on Monday.
Des Maslen had nothing but praise for firefighters who helped save his Williamtown property on Saturday.
“The firies who came through are worth their weight in gold,” he said.
Mr Maslen lost his Cabbage Tree Road workshop and equipment, worth about $300,000, in the 2013 fire.
This time, his greatest loss was a quad bike and fences.
Firefighters, assisted by helicopters, showed up at his property in time to stop the flames which had charred the back of his property from reaching the shed.
It was about 9am on Saturday that Mr Maslen, who lives in Medowie, looked outside and saw plumes of smoke in the sky. He immediately drove to his Williamtown property.
During a period of two hours he shifted horses that had been in the back paddock to the front, cleared flammable material from the shed and moved equipment needed for his business.
He also helped his father, who lives on a neighbouring property, get to safety.
“You knew, based on the smoke alone, that this fire was substantial,” Mr Maslen said. “We just started moving anything that could go up in flames out of the shed. Two hours later it was here. It didn’t take long.
“It burnt all the bush out the back, where the horses had been.
“The fire came up within 20 feet of the shed. Then the firies turned up. I can’t speak highly enough of the RFS. And the pilots in the planes and helicopters. They’re incredibly accurate.”
Backburning will continue in Port Stephens on Wednesday to burn out the remaining pockets of bush behind containment lines.
Smoke is likely to visible around the fireground during the rest of the week.
Crews will continue to patrol the fireground, mop up and black out any hot spots ahead of warmer weather forecast for this week.
The temperature for Raymond Terrace is expected to hit the 30s on Thursday and stay that way until early next week.
The RFS advises residents to stay alert in case the fire does flare up again.
Ellie-Marie Watts
A journalist with 10 years experience, Ellie-Marie connects readers to the stories that matter in their communities. A Port Stephens-based news, sport and event writer and photographer with a passion for human interest features.
A journalist with 10 years experience, Ellie-Marie connects readers to the stories that matter in their communities. A Port Stephens-based news, sport and event writer and photographer with a passion for human interest features.
