Newbridge Fire
Published Date: 07 Jan 2014
Summary
LOCATION: 88 Jones Road Newbridge
Newbridge
COUNCIL AREA: Blayney
STATUS: Under Control
TYPE: Grass fire
FIRE: Yes
SIZE: 35 ha
RESPONSIBLE AGENCY: Rural Fire Service
)
Western Advocate
A new blaze appears as district cries out for rain
THE Rural Fire Service was forced to pull out all stops yesterday in a bid to contain a grass fire burning out of control on the outskirts of Newbridge.
THE Rural Fire Service was forced to pull out all stops yesterday in a bid to contain a grass fire burning out of control on the outskirts of Newbridge.
The RFS deployed 35 firefighters, 10 tankers, two helicopters, three fixed wing aircraft, a bulldozer and a grader to the blaze, which began just after 10am.
The fire was all but contained by 5pm.
It followed a fire in the Arkstone area which started on Sunday night and was contained on Monday afternoon, but not before it burned around 50 hectares of the Abercrombie River National Park.
The Arkstone area fire was fought by six Rural Fire Service brigades, five fixed wing aircraft, heavy plant and bulldozers.
The Bathurst district has been receiving less than its average rainfall for months, and the toll is being taken.
An official 17 millimetres was recorded in October, against an average of almost 60mm; 40mm was received in November, against an average of almost 62mm; and 47mm was received in December, against an average of just over 65mm.
The district has received just 0.6mm in January – and there is nothing substantial forecast for the next week.
Brett Bowden, operations officer for Canobolas Rural Fire Service, said yesterday's blaze was just two kilometres north-west of the township of Newbridge, 30km from Bathurst, when it broke out.
Firefighter Bowden said the RFS received a call for assistance for a grass fire adjacent to a private pine plantation.
"We responded with one fire tanker, but the fire quickly spread into the pine plantation," he said.
"The southern portion of the forest had been logged previously and the fire continued through wildling pines and continued to burn uphill into the forest.
"The fire quickly spread beyond single tanker suppression capability and fire crews called for assistance."
At 5pm yesterday the RFS had 10 fire tankers on the ground as well as two helicopters, three fixed wing aircraft, a bulldozer and a grader, plus 35 firefighters.
Firefighter Bowden said the fire itself wasn't massive, but it provided a challenge geographically.
"The fire itself is only about 15 hectares. It's not a large fire, but it's problematic because of its location," he said.
By late yesterday, firefighter Bowden said the fire had been contained on both the northern and eastern sides and ground crews were back-burning on the southern side.
He said they were waiting on the dozer to push through a trail on the western side so it too could be contained.
"All in all, it looks good for containment, although crews will remain on site for the next few days," he said.
Firefighter Bowden said yesterday's favourable weather also helped firefighters on the ground.
He said at this stage the cause of the fire was unknown.
"There is a fire investigator on site who will get to the bottom of it," he said.
