N. S. W. Australia Bushfires Intensify

[cappie]

The Catholic Diocese of Parramatta has launched an emergency appeal to assist people who have been impacted by the New South Wales bushfires. More than 200 homes have been lost or damaged and one person has died.

 

Pope Francis has expressed his concern to the people of NSW and sent them his blessing.

 

The NSW Government has declared a state of emergency. Parishes in the Blue Mountains Deanery in the Diocese of Parramatta are under threat from a fire that forced the evacuation of students at St Thomas Aquinas Primary and St Columba’s High School in Springwood parish last week.

 

Elmhurst, the original homestead at the old St Columba’s Seminary, has been destroyed and some Church workers and parishioners have lost their homes.

 

Bishop of Parramatta, Most Rev Anthony Fisher OP, praised the courageous efforts of the Rural Fire Service, NSW Police and volunteers for their work in protecting human life and property.

 

“I also want to recognise and thank Mr Sergio Rosato, Principal of St Thomas Aquinas Primary, and Mr Phil Stewart, Acting Principal of St Columba’s High School, and all the staff for helping to ensure the safety of the school children,” Bishop Anthony said.

 

“Thank you for supervising them well into the night. The Diocese will be doing everything that it can to assist the wider community in relief efforts.”

Principal Sergio Rosato gave no indication his own home was one of those lost.

 

He accompanied his staff and students to the shopping centre at Winmalee, where shopkeepers provided drinks and snacks, and then on to the Springwood Sports Club.

 

 School principal Sergio Rosato who lost his home in the fires "entertains" the children during  the evactuation

 

 

 

[brandelynmarie]

A hedge of angels around our pham down under. Many prayers! Blessed Mother Marie-Rose & St. Christopher, pray for them

[Spem in alium]

More updates:

 

There are now three emergency warnings for fires burning in NSW.

Two young boys (11 and 15) have been charged with lighting some of the fires. Very shocking.

 

 

 

[Catherine Therese]

Also, there is the possibility being investigated that one of the fires, the one that is currently threatening my home (we're all still safe at present) was started accidentally by the army:

( http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/investigations-continue-amid-fears-defence-started-worst-of-nsw-bushfires-in-training-exercise/story-fni0cx12-1226743149284 )

I really feel for whomever it was that made the decision to go ahead with that training exercise, if it turns out that their actions were found to be the cause - they must be absolutely tearing themselves up inside over what has resulted.

[bmb144]

I lived on the Blue Mountains for 14 years before moving interstate, in part to get away from the fire threat.  I have friends in its path too. :pray:

[Spem in alium]

Also, there is the possibility being investigated that one of the fires, the one that is currently threatening my home (we're all still safe at present) was started accidentally by the army:

( http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/investigations-continue-amid-fears-defence-started-worst-of-nsw-bushfires-in-training-exercise/story-fni0cx12-1226743149284 )

I really feel for whomever it was that made the decision to go ahead with that training exercise, if it turns out that their actions were found to be the cause - they must be absolutely tearing themselves up inside over what has resulted.

 

I heard this today. Very sad if that is the case.
I'm glad you are safe. Prayers. 
 

I lived on the Blue Mountains for 14 years before moving interstate, in part to get away from the fire threat.  I have friends in its path too. :pray:

I'll keep your friends in my prayers. It's a very tense time.

[TheresaThoma]

Prayers!

I would like to add to the intentions all those that are affected by the smoke and ash. I remember here in CO when the Hayman fire was going on there was serious concern about the affects of smoke and ash. I believe there was one fatality from the smoke (it triggered a woman's asthma).

[Catherine Therese]

I lived on the Blue Mountains for 14 years before moving interstate, in part to get away from the fire threat.  I have friends in its path too. :pray:

Prayers for your friends, too!

[cappie]

Prayers!

I would like to add to the intentions all those that are affected by the smoke and ash. I remember here in CO when the Hayman fire was going on there was serious concern about the affects of smoke and ash. I believe there was one fatality from the smoke (it triggered a woman's asthma).

 

 

Health authorities are bracing for an increase in hospital admissions and sickness as Sydney's air quality drops to levels not seen since the Red Dawn dust storms four years ago.

Smoke from the state's bushfires pushed pollution up to the 2009 levels, which triggered a 20 per cent jump in hospital visits for asthma and respiratory diseases.

"The levels of [pollutants] are very, very high," said Matthew Riley, director of climate and atmospheric science at the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage. "They're among the highest levels we've recorded.''

 

On Monday residents in the Sydney region were hit with air quality levels up to 50 times worse than normal, as swirling winds sent pollution levels soaring from the central coast to the Illawarra.

 

NSW Health warned Sydney residents that the smoke could be deadly.

"Smoke can kill. We know that during high air pollution days there is an increase in people attending hospitals, getting sick with breathing difficulties but also people dying with cardiovascular disease, '' said Wayne Smith, the director of the environmental health branch at NSW Health. ''Air pollution is going to become very poor over the Sydney basin over the coming days.''

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/smoke-triggers-health-alert-20131021-2vx6i.html#ixzz2iNkWYKfp

 

 

 

 

Edited October 21, 2013 by cappie

[AccountDeleted]

This whole thing reminds me of the Ash Wednesday bush fires in 1983 that swept across the states of Victoria and South Australia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ash_Wednesday_fires

 

We couldn't breathe and the dust and smoke and ash were so thick it was like a total eclipse during the day.

 

Lots of prayers are needed now for New South Wales - as cappie has posted, the fire isn't the only danger - so is the smoke and air pollution. :pray:

[cappie]

Tomorrow will be hotter, drier and windier.All Blue Mountains schools will be closed and nursing home residents have been moved as NSW RFS Commissioner warns of difficult day ahead. Springwood nursing home residents are in the process of being evacuated to hospitals and aged care facilities in western Sydney, To give an idea of just how concerned the Rural Fire Service is about conditions in the Blue Mountains tomorrow, an extra 1,400 fire fighters are being sent there tomorrow. There are 1,000 on the ground there already.

 

New South Wales Rural Fire Services Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons has just begun his latest briefing and he has already issued this grim warning.

 

"The forecast and scenario for tomorrow is about as bad as it gets," he says.

 

The revised forecast is for temperatures in the mid to high 30s (Celsius), with humidity down to 10 per cent.

 

Strong winds are forecast with gusts of between 80km/h to 100km/h.

 

He's urged everyone who does not need to be in the Blue Mountains on Wednesday to be out of the region by 10am. 

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/nsw-bushfires-live-updates-october-22-20131022-2vxsm.html#ixzz2iQbmypKm

Edited October 22, 2013 by cappie

[Catherine Therese]

We are evacuating first thing tomorrow morning.

We're so grateful to the authorities who have kept the information flow regular and really enabled the community to make decisions that will prevent loss of life!

[AccountDeleted]

We are evacuating first thing tomorrow morning.

We're so grateful to the authorities who have kept the information flow regular and really enabled the community to make decisions that will prevent loss of life!

 

 

Prayers for you CT, for all the victims and those affected, and for the firefighters and other emergency workers. :pray:

[Catherine Therese]

Thanks... those prayers MAY already be working ?? I hope so!

I'm sitting up in bed and I can hear thunder and some rainfall... its steady, but not super-heavy. I hope that a few miles down the road where the firefront is, its going to get a bit heavier. Because there is so much bushland, the canopy is often higher than the level of the worst of the fires, which seem to gather speed and momentum along the ground where there is more brush and tinder. The rain has to be reasonably heavy, therefore, to get through that canopy and down to the actual fire and also to wet down the brush/leaves that act as fuel... so the best thing that could happen would be HEAVY downpour... lets pray for that unexpected turn in the weather!

[AnneLine]

Praying hard for you.... keep in touch with us if you can... we are worried about all of you!