Firefighters are overwhelmed by flames at a bushfire in Orangeville, west of Campbelltown, 6 December 2019. The Sydney Morning Herald’s Chief Photographer Nick Moir, who was at the scene, said the fire advanced so quickly everyone was forced to “run from its path”. He said a lone fire truck held at the scene as long as possible before the ferocity of the flames forced the firefighters to retreat. Photo: Nick Moir / The Sydney Morning Herald
Firefighters are overwhelmed by flames at a bushfire in Orangeville, west of Campbelltown, 6 December 2019. The Sydney Morning Herald’s Chief Photographer Nick Moir, who was at the scene, said the fire advanced so quickly everyone was forced to “run from its path”. He said a lone fire truck held at the scene as long as possible before the ferocity of the flames forced the firefighters to retreat. Photo: Nick Moir / The Sydney Morning Herald

By Lucy Cormack, Nick Moir, and Megan Levy
6 December 2019

(Sydney Morning Herald) – Firefighters were forced to run from an “explosion of fire” in Sydney’s south-west on Thursday night, as the bushfire crisis again tightened its grip over the state.

At the peak of the crisis, seven fires around NSW were classified as burning at emergency warning level on Thursday, from Tenterfield in the north of the state to the Shoalhaven on the South Coast.

In the early hours of Friday morning, the last of the fires burning at emergency warning level were downgraded to watch-and-act level, but residents were told to remain vigilant. Those blazes included the Little L Complex fire in the Yengo National Park, and the Gospers Mountain fire.

Firefighters are overwhelmed by flames at a bushfire in Orangeville, west of Campbelltown, 6 December 2019. Photo: Nick Moir / The Sydney Morning Herald

The Green Wattle Creek fire, which had been threatening properties in south-western Sydney on Thursday evening, was downgraded just before 11.30pm on Thursday, while the Currowan fire, near Batemans Bay, and the Three Mile fire were also downgraded to watch-and-act level early on Friday.

Incredible scenes emerged from the Green Wattle Creek fire, which exploded out of the bush and roared up to engulf towering trees within seconds on Thursday evening.

The Sydney Morning Herald’s Chief Photographer Nick Moir, who was at the scene, said the fire advanced so quickly everyone was forced to “run from its path”.

Sparks rain down as firefighters are overwhelmed by flames at a bushfire in Green Wattle Creek, 6 December 2019. Photo: Nick Moir / The Sydney Morning Herald
Sparks rain down as firefighters are overwhelmed by flames at a bushfire in Green Wattle Creek, 6 December 2019. Photo: Nick Moir / The Sydney Morning Herald

He said a lone fire truck held at the scene as long as possible before the ferocity of the flames forced the firefighters to retreat. […]

Almost 3000 Rural Fire Service personnel were in the field during the day, and as of 10.30pm they were battling 127 blazes amid “very hot, very dry and very windy” conditions.

“We are seeing a lot of areas where fire is becoming more active under these very strong winds,” said RFS spokesman Greg Allan. “There will be no relief, not in the immediate future.” [more]

‘Explosion of fire’ forced firefighters to flee in Sydney’s south-west