Exhausted firefighters worked through the night to save homes and lives as an out-of-control bushfire dubbed ‘The Monster’ tore through properties and land in New South Wales.
Devastating new photographs show the carnage on Saturday night as intense weather conditions propelled a mega-blaze covering 460,000 hectares from Gospers Mountain through to the Blue Mountains.
An elderly man whose home was consumed by flames remains missing feared dead, and dozens of properties have been damaged or destroyed by bushfires which raged during heatwave conditions in the state on Saturday.
Rural Fire Service commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons described the day as ‘awful’ for firefighters, with up to 20 homes lost to the immense Gospers Mountain fire northwest of Sydney alone.
Devastating new photographs show Saturday night’s carnage as a mega-blaze covering 460,000 hectares spread from Gospers Mountain through to the Blue Mountains, destroying an estimated 20 homes
Pictures show the devastating conditions firefighters were forced to work in, as a blanket of orange smoke settled on the Blue Mountains and embers flew in every direction
The firefighters worked together to pump a hose through a homeowner’s backyard as the vicious fire approached
More than 20 homes are feared lost in the Blue Mountains after the blaze tore through on Saturday night, fuelled by intense weather conditions
Firefighters from across the state offered their services in the Blue Mountains mega-blaze on Saturday
The mega-blaze ripped through Bilpin and the Blue Mountains on Saturday night with intense heat and speed
At least two more properties were razed near Batemans Bay on the south coast, and others at Balmoral southwest of Sydney.
Harrowing footage shows a wall of flame race rapidly towards properties while embers float through the deep-red sky, moving so quickly firefighters had to take shelter inside a shed before the flames passed and they made it out alive.
Meanwhile, in South Australia, two people died and at least 54 people were injured as bushfires continued to wreak havoc just 40 minutes from Adelaide.
Thousands of volunteers continue to battle blazes on Sunday as Scott Morrison meets with fire chiefs in Sydney after covertly landing from his Hawaiian holiday on Saturday night.
The Gospers Mountain mega blaze is continuing to tear through Bilpin (pictured), northwest of Sydney, with firefighters expected to work tirelessly through the night as conditions are not expected to ease
More properties are under threat in Bilpin and Bells Line of Road into the night while firefighters were seen battling the flames
Harrowing footage taken from the frontline of the mega-fire known as ‘The Monster’ by locals shows the reality of the speed of the fires
RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons on Saturday night said the blaze(pictured in Bilpin) is still ‘extremely active and busy’ and continues to spread at a rapid rate
Commissioner Fitzsimmons said areas such as Bilpin still needed to be on high alert into Sunday as a southerly change blew through the region north-west of Sydney.
‘Temperatures will drop but the humidity will rise. The vegetation, the landscape is so dry we are still seeing pretty significant fire behaviour and that is going to continue,’ he said.
In a stark warning that the crisis could last months, he added: ‘We will not get on top of these fires until we get some decent rain’.
Southerly winds moving upstate on Saturday evening fanned flames in new directions and caused erratic fire behaviour, before creating cooler conditions for the 3000 firefighting and emergency personnel in the field.
A fire-generated thunderstorm also formed over fires in the Shoalhaven.
Fire fighters worked to try to contain a blaze which tore through a fruit shop and nearby homes
Tutti Frutti Fruit Shop (pictured) on Bells Lin elf Road has been destroyed, along with the adjoining house and the neighbouring house
Exhausted fire fighters worked through the night to keep the blazes from destroying any more homes
As a wall of fire swept through the charred bush in the Blue Mountains, it climbed high up into the tree tops
The sky near Bilpin and Kurrajong looked apocolyptic as grey embers fell from the orange, burned out sky on Saturday evening
With forecasts predicting close to a week of advantageous conditions across NSW, Mr Fitzsimmons said his crews would do their best to get on top of the fires before tougher conditions return later in the week or next weekend.
‘Our big focus is on trying to consolidate and establish containment lines across as many fire grounds as we can. We have significant fire spread south of the Bells Line of Road and through the valley system such as the Grose Valley in the Blue Mountains,’ Mr Fitzsimmons told reporters.
‘So we will be looking at what are the options, what are the fall-back lines and at what point do we start implementing very significant strategies to secure protection for an impending threat to the Blue Mountains, particularly the communities along the Great Western Highway.’
Mr Fitzsimmons said an elderly Dargan man who refused to leave, choosing to stay and defend his residence east of Lithgow, remained unaccounted for on Saturday evening. His property was later seen in flames.
NSW Ambulance chief executive Dominic Morgan said a number of firefighters suffered heat exhaustion on Saturday while battling the 112 fires, which were having a ‘big impact’ on demand for emergency services.
Horses are seen in a paddock as the Gospers Mountain Fire impacts Bilpin, northwest of Sydney, on Saturday
Chilling footage was captured from the frontline of the fires, shows just how rapidly the fire has been moving towards properties
Fire crews and police spent Saturday door-knocking and warning residents of the imminent danger and urging them to leave
Commissioner Fitzsimmons said areas such as Bilpin (pictured) still needed to be on high alert into Sunday as a southerly change blew through the region north-west of Sydney
Mr Fitzsimmons added one firefighter at Lithgow had been treated for smoke inhalation and another at Gospers Mountain was struck by a car.
Towns around Lithgow were impacted by an ember attack in the afternoon, either damaging or completely destroying dozens of properties.
Desperate police scrambled to get people out of their homes and to safety as the huge mega blaze threatened 20,000 lives.
Fire crews and police spent Saturday door-knocking and warning residents of the imminent danger and urging them to leave.
A member of the Melton fire crew was photographed while he helped fight fires heading from Bilpin on Saturday night
A NSW Rural Fire Service member helping to put out a blaze heading toward homes in Kurrajong from Bilpin
The Gospers Mountain mega blaze is moving rapidly at Bells Line of Road, northwest of Sydney, with the Rural Fire Service predicting a grim night on Saturday
The Gospers Mountain Fire is seen impacting a property in Bilpin, northwest of Sydney, as the blaze remains out-of-control on Saturday
But plenty of the residents were defiant and opted to remain at their properties, using their garden hose and buckets to attempt to save their houses, despite the fire destroying an area six times the size of Singapore.
On Saturday afternoon, police were seen pulling people out of their homes as the flames inched closer.
While conditions are expected to remain dire overnight, favourable weather conditions are beginning on Sunday and should allow firefighters to try and get fires under-control before the heat returns later in the week.
As of 1am Sunday just two fires remained at emergency level, the Kerry Ridge bushfire in the Wollemi National Park, and the Upper Turon Road fire in Palmers Oaky near Lithgow.
There are still eight fires at a Watch and Act threat level, including the Gospers Mountain mega-fire, the Green Wattle Creek fire on the outskirts of Sydney and the Tianjara and Currowan fires in the Shoalhaven.
NSW Rural Fire Service crews fight the Gospers Mountain Fire as it impacts a structure at Bilpin, northwest of Sydney on Saturday
Police were seen running up to houses and pulling people out as the flames inched closer to properties in Lithgow
A southerly wind of up to 90km/h began rolling through the southern coast of NSW on Saturday afternoon, hitting Sydney at 5pm and causing the fires to pick up speed.
While the cool change could be seen as a nice reprieve, Commissioner Fitzsimmons said as long as the state is in drought, the fires will continue to wreak havoc.
‘We will not get on top of these fires until we get some decent rain, we have said that for weeks and months,’ he said.
The Currowan and Tianjara fires in the Shoalhaven were so powerful they caused fire-generated thunderstorms which happen when rising, turbulent air draws in cooler air and causes lightning, high winds and sometimes rain – but not directly over the blazes.
‘This is a very dangerous situation. Monitor the conditions around you and take appropriate action,’ RFS wrote on Twitter.
One of the fire-caused thunderstorms brought a splash of rain to Bargo, south of Sydney and prompted firefighters to dance and cheer with joy as they felt the first drops of water fall from the sky.
NSW Rural Fire Services Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said about 8.30pm there were still 120 fires burning across the State.
A chilling satellite image of New South Wales shows fires south of Sydney in Shoalhaven
The Currowan and Tianjara fires in the Shoalhaven were so powerful that they caused fire-generated thunderstorms which happen when rising, turbulent air draws in cooler air and causes lightning, high winds and sometimes rain – but not directly over the blazes
Firefighters stare down a raging bushfire at Bilpin in NSW’s Blue Mountains (pictured), next to a major road and dangerously close to homes
The Bilpin fire, on the outskirts of Sydney, is threatening homes and communities (pictured) as firefighters struggle to contain the blaze
Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky raise eyebrows with Byron Bay locals as ‘a fleet of water trucks’ for their ‘$1million garden’ arrive at their new mega-mansion amid bushfire and drought crisis
Chris Hemsworth and his wife Elsa Pataky have raised eyebrows after ‘a fleet of water trucks’ arrived at their $20million mega-mansion.
The trucks have reportedly been arriving to tend to a garden worth $1million at their new home in Broken Head near Byron Bay – as Australia battles through intense drought and harsh water restrictions in much of New South Wales.
A macadamia nut farmer estimated water costs would set the Hollywood power couple back ‘millions of dollars’.
Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Chris’ representatives for comment in relation to the claims.
Thor blimey! Chris Hemsworth, 36, and Elsa Pataky, 43, have raised eyebrows with locals as ‘a fleet of water trucks’ for their ‘$1million garden’ arrived at their $20million mega-mansion in Broken Head, near Byron Bay, Australia
A macadamia nut farmer estimated water costs would set the Hollywood power couple back ‘millions of dollars’.
‘I wish I had millions of dollars to buy that amount of water, all the demand (from the bushfire crisis) has put the prices through the roof,’ the farmer told The Sydney Morning Herald.
‘I’ve seen his gardens – it’s a green, lush oasis in there,’ the farmer added.
Byron Shire is under level one water restrictions as of December 7, which comes with a range of rules for urban and rural residents.
The restrictions bar people from using irrigations systems for more than 15 minutes a day and lawns and gardens can only be watered for one hour a day.
Chris, 36, and Elsa, 43, have also however been doing their part to support local firefighters.
‘I wish I had millions of dollars to buy that amount of water’: A farmer estimated that water costs would set the Hollywood power couple back ‘millions of dollars’, when speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday. Pictured: an aerial view of the mega-mansion
A NSW Rural Fire Service firefighter is seen fighting the Gospers Mountain Fire as it impacts properties at Bilpin on Saturday
A water bombing helicopter battles the Green Wattle Creek Fire as it threatens homes in Yanderra in the south west of Sydney
New South Wales motorists who planned on taking a road trip during the holidays have been told to cancel all travel plans.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said families should avoid travel, as the ‘unpredictable’ conditions could see fires become ‘very dangerous quickly’.
Christmas is likely cancelled for the hundreds of Australians forced to flee their homes, and others have been told not to risk travelling to see friends or family.
‘We know it might be stressful to change your plans. We would much rather everybody was safe and not in harm’s way.’
New South Wales Fire crews are still mourning the loss of two brave volunteers who died after battling the Green Wattle Creek fire on Thursday evening.
Andrew O’Dwyer, 36, a father-of-three and Geoffrey Keaton, 32, also a father, had courageously fought the fire as part of the Horsley Park RFS bridage.
On Saturday morning, the brigade went back out to tackle the blazing inferno, dedicating their battle to their fallen mates.
‘In true Horsley Park spirit, our crew are heading out today as part of a Cumberland Zone Strike Team in memory of Geoff and Andrew,’ the team wrote on its Facebook page.
‘To all crews in the field today, stay safe and look after each other.’
The raging infernos continue to close in on Sydney, with the Gospers Mountain fire now burning across 450,000 hectares
NSW Rural Fire Service crews fight the Gospers Mountain Fire as it impacts a property at Bilpin northwest of Sydney
NSW Rural Fire Service crews fight the Gospers Mountain Fire as it impacts a structure at Bilpin, northwest of Sydney on Saturday
A property is lost as The Gospers Mountain Fire impacts, at Bilpin, north-west of Sydney on Saturday night
Meanwhile, at least 54 people were injured on Saturday at the Cudlee Creek fire in South Australia, 23 of those including firefighters and two police officers.
Two people were found dead and hundreds of homes are on the brink of destruction.
One resident died in the Adelaide Hills as a fire ripped through the area, and another in a car crash in Lameroo.
At least 23 firefighters have been taken to hospital with injuries after battling more than 100 fires across South Australia, some just 40 minutes from the centre of Adelaide.
As of Saturday 15 houses were destroyed, along with 28 other buildings and 16 cars.
Two blazes on Kangaroo Island at Menzies and Duncan have burned more than 9,500 hectares and are still burning uncontrolled.
South Australian Premier Steven Marshall told reporters: ‘There has been a further death in the Charleston area in Adelaide.
‘This is of course on top of the death which occurred in Lameroo. This was a result of a car crash in the Lameroo area which ignited the fire which was in that area yesterday.’
‘My fear is this is only the tip of the iceberg. It is going to a real scene of devastation, especially for those people in the Adelaide Hills who have been most affected to date.’
John Glatz, the former Oakbank Racing Club chairman, is in an induced coma in an intensive care unit, ABC reported.
At least 54 people were injured on Saturday at the Cudlee Creek fire in South Australia (pictured), 23 of those including firefighters and two police officers
A view of a building destroyed by a fire in Lobethal in the Adelaide Hills as residents helped to put out spot fires
A view of a building destroyed by a fire in Lobethal in the Adelaide Hills, Adelaide on Saturday
Properties have been lost as the Gospers Mountain Fire continued to ravage homes north-west of Sydney on Saturday
He is thought to have suffered burns to 60 per cent of his body after he chose to stay behind and attempt to save his horses and home.
In Victoria, after days of blistering heat a cool change has brought dangerous dry lightning, increasing the fire danger for firefighters tackle more than 100 blazes across the state.
Fire Services Commissioner Craig Lapsley said the 21,000 hectare Grampians bushland fire was so intense it had ‘created its own weather’, triggering lightning and spot fires.
On Saturday morning, a 47-year-old man was charged with lighting three bushfires in the Roxburgh Park area on Friday night.
He has been charged with 11 charges including intentionally cause bush-fire and criminal damage by fire.
The charges also relate to a series of fires dating back to October this year.
A Woodside resident battles a fire (pictured) as it crosses Ridge Road at Woodside in the Adelaide Hills in Adelaide on Friday
Other towns across NSW have been issued with the terrifying warning that it is now ‘too late to leave’ as firefighters endure one of the worst bushfire days yet. Pictured: a water bombing helicopter in Yanderra, south-west of Sydney
A burnt Christmas decoration lies on the ground (pictured) in front of a house recently destroyed by bushfires on the outskirts of the town of Bargo on Saturday
Residents in Bilpin (pictured) have been told to evacuate as the Gospers Mountain fire reaches emergency levels on Saturday
The Cudlee Creek fire destroys a plot of land at Woodside (pictured), just 40 minutes outside of Adelaide, on Friday
A firefighter struggles to tackle a fire in the NSW town of Bargo on Friday evening, which is reported to have destroyed more than 50 homes
Firemen inspect a house recently destroyed by bushfires (pictured) on the outskirts of the town of Bargo on Saturday
Fires swept areas of Lexton, Victoria on Friday (pictured) as conditions worsened thanks to high temperatures
Victoria Police evacuated a number of people from Lexton after it was threatened by the fire at Amphitheatre (pictured)