Panicked parents desperately search for their teenage son who mysteriously disappeared in a bushfire danger zone
- Simon Jones posted on a Facebook on Monday night to say boy was missing
- Thomas Dando had not come home from Lomandra School in Campbelltown
- The area is close to bushland amid ‘catastrophic’ fire conditions on Tuesday
A father is desperately searching for his 14-year-old son who has gone missing in a bushfire danger zone.
Simon Jones posted on a Facebook on Monday night to say that his son Thomas Dando had not come home from Lomandra School in Campbelltown, south-west Sydney.
The area is close to bushland amid ‘catastrophic’ fire conditions with 37C temperatures, high winds and low humidity throughout Tuesday.
Simon Jones posted on a Facebook group on Monday night to say that her son Thomas Dando (pictured) had not come home from Lomandra School in Campbelltown, south-west Sydney
The suburbs most directly at risk of fire are near the bushland areas around the city such as the Hawkesbury region and Hornsby in the north, Penrith in the west and Camden, Campbelltown and Sutherland in the south. Fire chiefs cannot predict exactly where fires will be and have urged residents to keep up with the situation which may change due to the weather
Mr Jones shared two pictures of his boy with the caption: ‘This is my son Thomas Dando age 14.
‘He has been missing since 9am this morning if anyone sees or heard anything please contact me or the police.
‘Last seen wearing Lomandra school uniform (pictured) leaving Lomandra school grounds In Campbelltown
‘Please help me find my boy’.
It is not clear if the disappearance has been reported to the police.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted NSW Police for comment.
It comes as Sydney residents living near bushland should be prepared to evacuate today as the city faces an ‘unprecedented level of bushfire danger’.
The city is facing ‘catastrophic’ conditions with fears 37C temperatures – along with 60km/h winds and low levels of humidity – could produce the ‘perfect firestorm’.
About 100,000 homes in the Sydney area are said to be at risk, with 31,500 of those in the city’s North Shore.
The Army is ready to deploy helicopters to evacuate residents whose lives are endangered amid warnings of ‘the most dangerous bushfire week this nation has ever seen’.
Blaze: A firefighter battles the flames during bushfires near Taree on the mid-north coast of New South Wales on Monday
‘Some fires may start and spread so quickly there is little time for a warning, so do not wait and see,’ the Rural Fire Service said on Monday.
‘There are simply not enough fire trucks for every house. If you call for help, you may not get it. Do not expect a firetruck. Do not expect a knock on the door. Do not expect a phone call. Your safest option will always be to leave early.’
On Tuesday morning, RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said 50 fires were burning across NSW and around 25 were uncontained.
None have reached the emergency level – but he expects some to do so today due to the ‘catastrophic’ conditions. Winds around Sydney are forecast to pick up mid morning and reach up to 90kmh after 6pm, meaning fires would spread rapidly.