9.30pm January 1, 2020

(next update early morning January 2)

This evening The NSW Department of Primary Industries and Local Land Services NSW (Agriculture and Animal Services Functional Area) are urging landholders in the Snowy Mountains and Snowy Monaro regions to commence preparations for increased fire danger this weekend.

Extreme fire danger is forecast across a large area in the south of the state on Saturday, resulting in conditions as bad as or worse than those experienced on New Year’s Eve.

Landholders should immediately:
• Consider where your livestock and pets are safest.
• Move livestock out of timbered areas to open paddocks free of fuel.
• Consider moving livestock off site.
• Plan how you will move stock before fire impacts your property.

For further advice or assistance, call the Agricultural and Animal Services Hotline on 1800 814 647.

This evening there has also been a few fires appear on the Alpine Way past Thredbo near Pilot Lookout and Snowy Creek, one at Tin Mines and at Snowy Plain via the Fires Near Me app. Please remain diligent in these areas and continue to monitor this app.

Today fire crews have taking advantage of more favourable weather to further control fires, with many fires in the wider region ranging in alert level. Looking ahead there is expected to be hot and windy weather which will inflame fires on Friday and in particular Saturday. Late on Saturday,  plus Sunday and Monday there is signs of rain, which would be welcomed with open arms by everyone.

Until then if you have property that could be affected it is advisable to prepare as best you can for any emergency.

For all Bushfire Updates visit these websites. If they have not been updated from the last time you looked, nothing has changed.

https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/fires-near-me

https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/major-fire-updates

https://www.emergency.vic.gov.au/respond/

Note: The Vic Emergency website predicts future growth of fire, the NSW website shows current fire.

Download the Fires Near Me App for travelling

NSW Rural Fire Service

Please follow their NSW Rural Fire Services Facebook page for updates.

Everyone should use the Live Traffic App or https://www.livetraffic.com/desktop.html for road closures as changes will be updated as they come to hand.

Refer to these National Park websites
https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/alerts/alerts-list

https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/kosciuszko-national-park/local-alerts

Severe bushfires across the Snowy Mountains region yesterday impacted many towns with residents forced to leave their properties in the Snowy Valleys area, National Parks and State Forests have been closed and holiday makers who are camping told to leave these areas. Many holiday makers have left today and traffic has been heavy into Cooma also from the South Coast.

Bushfires and heavy smoke will continue to affect the region over the coming week and everyone is asked to be very diligent. If you are trying to contact people on the South Coast, some areas have communications down. Areas of Tumbarumba have also limited communications.

Please do not post speculative information on social media. Do not rely on old social media posts as information is updated very fast.

As we start the New Year, our thoughts are with those directly involved with fighting bushfires and with heavy heart we send condolences to those many who have lost loved ones in tragic circumstances on the South Coast and in Victoria.

Roads Update

The Snowy Mountains Highway from Bega to Cooma has reopened, but travel should only be if absolutely required as there is reduced visibility on this road due to smoke. No matter where you travel, ensure you have a full tank of fuel. There will be heavy traffic coming from the South Coast to Cooma as visitors can now get out and have been advised to leave. This will continue on Thursday.

Roads in Kosciuszko

The Alpine Way to Wildbrumby, Lake Crackenback Resort and Crackenback Farm is still open although you will pass through traffic control at Jindabyne.

Thredbo Day Visitors - The Alpine Way is closed to Thredbo day visitors.

Alpine Way closed to all traffic between Thredbo and Khancoban.

Kosciuszko Road and Guthega Road – open for all visitors to exit KNP to Jindabyne. Open for visitors with accommodation to enter KNP from Jindabyne. Closed for day visitation.

The Elliot Way from Snowy Mountains Highway to Tooma Road is closed.

The Snowy Mountains Highway is CLOSED from Adaminaby to near Tumut.

The Tooma Road is closed south of Tumbarumba.

The Batlow Road is closed from Batlow to Tumbarumba and will remain closed for several days.

Sections of the Wondalga Road is closed.

The Jingelic Road from Hume Highway is closed.

YOU MUST CHECK LIVE TRAFFIC UPDATES BEFORE ANY TRAVEL

 https://www.livetraffic.com/desktop.html

Kosciuszko National Park - Closed

The fires in and around Kosciuszko National Park continue to expand.

Weather conditions are expected to get hotter and drier over the coming days.

On Friday 3 January 2020 and particularly Saturday 4 January 2020 we are expecting to experience bad fire weather.

It is recommended that all people continue to monitor the websites above and apps for further updates;

Expect more NPWS updates as they come to hand in coming days.

The park is closed for all day visitors. Penalties apply for non-compliance. For more information, contact the local NPWS office or visit the Rural Fire Service website.

This includes Kosciuszko National Park, Thredbo-Perisher area, Yarrangobilly area, High Plains area, Khancoban area, Lower Snowy River area, Selwyn area and Tumut area.

There are currently bushfires impacting Kosciuszko National Park in multiple locations. All campsite areas, walking / mountain bike tracks and other backcountry areas are closed and park rangers have visited all camping areas and asked people to evacuate.

Thredbo Resort Update.

Stay tuned to Thredbo Resort Facebook Page

For Thredbo Village, in the event of a siren all people are to proceed to the AIS sports complex in Thredbo.

For Perisher Valley, Smiggin Holes, Guthega Village and Kosciuszko Road all people have been strongly advised to evacuate these areas. The advice to leave is due to the risk of unpredictable fire behaviour and dry lightning strikes from firestorm activity.

If anyone makes the decision to remain they must monitor the situation, there are no resources available to monitor fire activity in all areas.

If fire impacts on your area an evacuation point is located at Perisher Skitube terminal or Perisher Carpark. It is recommended to go to Jindabyne in daylight hours, an evacuation centre is located in Cooma at the showground, Multi-Function Centre.

To the west of Kosciuszko National Park in Victoria there are numerous fires around the greater Corryong area which are affecting the western side of the park.

The town of Cabramurra has been evacuated on December 31.

Snowy Monaro

Currently there is excessive smoke around the whole Snowy Monaro area.

This is coming from fires in the region consisting of to the East of Cooma in the Badja Forest Road, Countegany area and east of Bredbo in the Peak View area and fires in Victoria. Fires in the Victorian Gippsland area and to the west of Kosciuszko National Park can be viewed on the Vic Emergency page listed.

Updates are being provided where possible by the local Fire and Rescue NSW Station 338 Jindabyne and the Monaro Team Rural Fire Service. 

There is no fresh news apart from what is listed above. At this stage Jindabyne is not under threat and Monaro Team (31 Dec) said fires in Victoria are currently not threatening to cross into NSW. You can follow both via Facebook.

There is a large bushfire within the Alpine National Park north of Tom Groggin that is not yet under control.
The bushfire is travelling in a south-easterly direction on a large front.

Once again, if there is no updates, the authorities consider everything to be safe at present.

If the situation changes, authorities will give updates well in advance. All they ask is that you be prepared in your own property or situation in case conditions change. See personal safety below.

Snowy Monaro Regional Council have Evacuation centres open in Cooma and Bombala.

Bombala Community Centre at 163 Maybe Street. This centre is open 24 hours.

Cooma Multi-Function Centre at the Cooma Showground. This is open 24 hours.

Upon arriving at an evacuation centre, please ensure your details are registered.

If you are evacuating animals due to the bush fire threat, the following locations are now available for your animals.

Bombala Saleyards - for large animals, self care only
Cooma Saleyards - for large animals, self care only
Cooma Showground - horses, self care only
Cooma Pound - dogs - limited space, please contact Council's Ranger Services on 1300 345 345.

For assistance with cats, or small animals/pocket pets, please contact the Cooma Pet Shop on 6452 6399 or the Cooma RSPCA branch on 0488 445 029.

For further information, please regularly check Council's Facebook page.

Snowy Valleys Region

Fires in this region are changing constantly, refer to https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/major-fire-updates

Current Fires are Dunns Road which is very wide spread, the Corryong Fire (Walwa) has been issued now with watch and act today for areas around Corryong including Khancoban and a fire north of Tom Groggin.

A number of community meetings have been held today 1 January 2020, with this information coming from the Batlow meeting today.

Following the town meeting today, we have the following information, from the RFS media liaison officer/ fire mapping specialist:
-The fire has once again been upgraded to an emergency warning
- Our fire is now at over 100000 hectares
- There are a lot of resources allocated to our fire however, they are unable to commit all that is required.
- Over the next couple of days they are expecting the fire to grow and move in an easterly direction, but that is weather dependent.
- They are expecting that the fire to exhibit the same behaviors as it did yesterday (especially on Saturday), it my go pyro-cumulus again
- they are suggesting that you go home and prepare your home, move your stock and animals
- Be aware of ember attack. If you go to bed take your hoses inside with you.
- Pack your bags and have a plan for leaving, sooner rather then later. Ensure that you have ID, changes of clothes, insurance, medications, any items that you consider to be irreplaceable.
- Our evacuation center is Adelong. If you have concerns then please go there and they will help you with any issues you have.
- Just because the fire has been through once does not mean that it won't burn again.
- The Fires Near Me App can only be updated when they have planes in the air to map the fronts. Currently they can't do that as there is too much smoke.

Community meetings Thursday 2 January 2020

Tallangatta Valley, Tallangatta Creek Rd, Tallangatta Valley at 12.00pm
Tallangatta Memorial Hall, Towong Street, Tallangatta at 3.00pm

Further community meetings are being planned and information relating to these meetings will be provided as soon as possible.

The Department of Family and Community Services has activated a number of evacuation centres and staff are working hard to support affected communities. Residents are advised that Evacuation Centres have been established at the following locations:

• Tumbarumba Bowling Club, 34/40 Winton St, Tumbarumba.
• Adelong Services, Citizens & Bowling Club, 54 Tumut Street, Adelong.
• Holbrook Library, Library Court, Holbrook.
These centres will provide residents access to services including welfare for evacuees and direction to assist with small animals.

Local Land Services and NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) are on the ground providing assistance to landholders who have been impacted by the fire at the following location:
• Tumut Showground is now open as a self-care shelter place for domestic and large animals. Plenty of room including for horses, cattle, sheep and poultry. Local Land Services staff are on site to provide assistance and advice.
• Holbrook Showground is now open as a self-care shelter place for domestic and large animals. Plenty of room including for horses, cattle, sheep and poultry. Local Land Services staff are on site to provide assistance and advice.
If you, or your community have been affected by the fires and have concerns about your livestock, pets, companion animals or wildlife, call the Agriculture and Animal Services Hotline on 1800 814 647. This Hotline is open every day including New Year’s Day from 8.30am – 5pm. Services include emergency fodder and water, animal assessments and veterinary assistance can be accessed through the hotline. Calling the hotline is the fastest and most effective way to get the help you need.

Register. Find. Reunite is available to people wishing to register their current location.
Use Register to let people know you are safe. Use Find to look for people you know may be affected by an emergency. Reunite is a matching process that enables us, with permission, to share details to connect family, friends and loved ones.
www.register.redcross.org.au

Sounds of the Mountains will continue to provide updates throughout the night.

The Visit Snowy Valleys  Facebook page has been advising information.

Personal Safety

Everyone should assess their own situation and act accordingly on what the expert fire websites are stating and take any direction given.
Everyone should be diligent and look at many of these websites for up to date information.
Plus, you should have a fire plan to suit your town, your home/property or individual situation and know where to go and what to do in case of emergency. Prepare your property, have your precious personal belongings ready to go at short notice.
Just be pre prepared in case your situation changes at short notice. This is not to alarm anyone, just be prepared.