Arson idiots sparked hell_英文原版

 

arsonists started a "significant number" of the bush blazes that swept across nsw yesterda, fire chiefs claimed this morning.

idiot firebugs were blamed frankly by rural fire services commissioner phil koperberg - while an expert has warned australia is on the brink of a horror bushfire season. 

hundreds of firefighters have worked through the night to contain multiple bushfires that destroyed at least six homes yesterday.

four houses were razed near picton, south-west of sydney, and three more were destroyed near cattai, in sydney's north-west.

mr koperberg said the cause of many of the fires was still under investigation, but many were thought to have been deliberately lit.

"without wanting to pre-empt the investigations, you will find the majority were due to either fallen powerlines or mishap of one description or another,'' he said.

"but a significant number would nevertheless have been deliberately lit.''

 

mr koperberg said strong westerly winds, which peaked on the south coast at 117kph, strengthened the blazes.

"they (firefighters) were battling falling trees, falling powerlines, branches and winds which were whipping the fire into a frenzy,'' he said.

"we were getting reports into homebush bay, our headquarters, at a rate of about one fire every seven or eight minutes erupting.

"it was just an unbelievable day and it is unprecedented.''

a 52-year-old motorcyclist was killed when his bike was struck by a tree branch which fell during strong winds yesterday at kangaroo valley on the south coast. 

 

meanwhile a fire expert has said the extreme weather conditions - the hottest, driest august on record teamed with a severe drought across most of the country - herald a fire season that will pose a major threat to people living in bush areas.

kevin o'loughlin from the bushfire co-operative research centre, in melbourne, said the massive fires, which blazed across nsw at the weekend – combined with bad fires in victoria last week and the 200 fires already reported in tasmania this month – could be a taste of things to come.

"just looking at what we've seen already, this is a major concern," mr o'loughlin said on abc radio. "it's a major concern that fire seasons seem to be starting earlier and lasting longer.

"we've got to get a greater understanding on this, on the frequency of fires, the earlier start to the season and if there's any connection to climate change."

 

mr o'loughlin said the dangers were heightened by the increasing number of people living in areas at risk of bushfire.

"if you're talking about the driest august on record and the warmest august on record and you set that against a period of drought, then you would have to be concerned that this could be a bad fire season," mr o'loughlin said.

"the agencies, no doubt, will be taking precautions and would be stressing that people who lived in properties at risk of bushfires make very, very serious preparations for potentially a very bad season."