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Horror day ahead
>From news.com.au staff and The Daily Telegraph
02Jan02
FIREFIGHTERS are facing another nightmare day after working through
the night to protect property from fires raging in Sydney's northern
suburbs and around NSW.
Strong winds and high temperatures are expected to fuel the fires
which came dangerously close to homes yesterday.
Several containment lines have broken, with the town of Sussex Inlet
in Shoalhaven among the areas now under threat.
However, the fire crews' continued efforts have paid off, with no
homes lost in any area overnight.
It is now the tenth day of the fire emergency with no sign of any let up.
Today is expected to bring high temperatures and 60km/h winds, low humidity and no
prospect of rain.
The bushfires breached Sydney yesterday afternoon, sweeping through northern suburbs
and forcing more than 500 residents to flee their properties.
Evacuations were ordered as the fires � believed to have been lit by arsonists �
roared within metres of homes in North Epping, South Turramurra and Marsfield.
For the first time since the bush blazes started on Christmas Day, they entered the
city taking hold near the archery centre in Pennant Hills Park at 2.30pm.
In 15 minutes the fires � fanned by a unique combination of westerly winds, low
humidity and high temperatures � were out of control.
By 3.30pm they had reached Bowen Ave, South Turramurra. The street was saved as fire
authorities threw resources at the threat, including the giant waterbomber Elvis on
loan from Victoria.
About the same time nearby Vernon St came under threat.
"We thought it was going to blow through but . . . they have given us an alert to
evacuate � it is pretty scary," resident Catherine Copping said as the fire approached.
In Bowen Ave, Geoff Blackburn said the fire was intensely hot as a wall of flame
threatened houses.
"We were watching the tennis and my wife said to me 'I can smell burning', Mr
Blackburn said. "It was huge � I thought we were going to lose the home. It came right
up to us.
"You wouldn't want to feel it � it was so hot and you couldn't breathe."
Mr Blackburn was forced to run from his home while volunteer and NSW Fire Brigade
fighters stayed to battle the blaze, which eventually bypassed them.
In Benning Ave, South Turramurra, Debbie Paterson left her husband behind as she fled
with her children after when her neighbour's house caught fire.
"We saw it at 3.30pm � we just packed our valuables and left," she said.
Ashburton Ave, which backs on to bushland, was next to be menaced between 3.45pm and
4pm. As flames licked the walls of homes in the street residents fled to an evacuation
point in Kissing Point Rd.
They carried pictures and photographs under their arms and helped elderly neighbours
out of the area.
The fire moved behind Cove St after jumping the Lane Cove River, threatening yet
another cluster of streets.
Judy Loveday, who was celebrating her birthday in her Cove St home, was forced to
evacuate her children and the family cat.
"Most of our stuff is in the car, a couple of boxes are in the doorway and it is
grab-and-go," she said. "We've been on alert since the last bushfire on Saturday, some
little thug lit that, and it usually is arson in this
area."
By mid-afternoon the fires reached the boundary hedge of North Epping Bowling Club.
They were contained around North Epping Oval by fire crews and a helitanker dumping
9000 litres of water at a time.
At 4pm the fire had travelled 2km, blanketing the area in thick smoke and falling
ashes and reducing visibility to metres. Spot fires blew ahead of the blaze sending
panicked residents fleeing to their cars and evacuation
points.
Some stayed to battle on with garden hoses, emptying backyard swimming pools to fight
the flames nearing their homes.
Federal Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock, who lives adjacent to Pennant Hills Park,
spent the afternoon serving drinks for emergency services workers.
About 5pm, the M2 motorway was closed in both directions between Epping Rd and the
tollgates.
Marisa Mazza, of Ashburton Ave, South Turramurra, told of residents' terror as they
deperately hosed down houses in the face of the fires.
"There's a fire on either side of us and the wind keeps changing directions so we
don't know which way's up and which way's down at the moment," she said.
"It's pretty frantic, I'm pretty anxious. I've got two young children, we've packed
the car, we're waiting to go if we have to."
Rosa Allahverdian, of Braidwood Ave, North Epping, said she was told to pack anything
of value.
"They said 'anything that you can't replace, take it'. My husband has gone to listen
to the announcements. It's very scary."
The Pennant Hills fire is the the second in the area in less then a week, The Daily
Telegraph learned yesterday.
On Saturday, a resident caught several teenage boys lighting fires near Coonan St,
South Turramurra, but was forced to let them escape when the fires got out of control.
By 7.30pm yesterday, fire was threatening Edenholme St in West Pymble.
A change in wind direction blew spot fires into properties in Field of Mars Ave at
South Turramurra � two hours after the first front threatened homes in neighbouring
streets.
At 7.37pm Howson, Hicks and Parkinson Avenues were also ordered to be evacuated by
firefighters following the wind change.
But the wind change was a lucky break for the residents in Downes St, North Epping. Up
until 5pm yesterday they had prepared for evacuation.
Last night, at least six firefighters were reported to have received treatment for
burns and smoke inhalation.
A woman, 50, was taken to hospital after being badly burnt on her feet fighting
bushfires at Yarramundi, west of Sydney.
Emergency services were yesterday angered at being hampered by
tourists sightseeing in the area of the Sydney fires.
Rural Fire Service Commissioner Phil Koperberg said the cause of the
Pennant Hills fires was unknown.
This report appears on news.com.au.
End<{{{
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