Lightning, Wind Shift Threaten Firefight as 1,100 Battle NSW Blazes

NSW: Emergency services across New South Wales faced a daunting night as they contended with a volatile bushfire near Koolewong and the escalating threat of severe weather changes, including a lightning band and wind shifts.

The Koolewong fire, which began in a park area around 1pm, escalated rapidly due to a combination of high heat and difficult terrain. RFS Commissioner Trent Curtin confirmed the severity, stating, “The fire moved very, very quickly into properties,” necessitating a swift escalation to an emergency warning.

Despite the Koolewong blaze being downgraded to a Watch and Act by 6pm as conditions eased slightly, the respite was fragile. Authorities feared that a band of lightning expected in the evening could ignite new fires, while a critical wind change was forecasted between 2am and 5am that would create “very challenging conditions for firefighters.”

To combat the blaze under cover of darkness, the RFS deployed a military Chinook helicopter, the only waterbombing aircraft in Australia capable of continuous night operation. Commissioner Curtin stated the Chinook would continue bombing operations as long as weather permits “to suppress that fire and protect communities.”

The crisis extended far beyond the Central Coast. As of Saturday afternoon, 75 bushfires were burning across NSW, with 19 of those uncontained. A total of 1,100 firefighters and 300 fire trucks were working across the state overnight.

Other significant incidents included:

• A Watch and Act for a fire at Bulahdelah, which has burned through over 2,500 hectares since Thursday.
• An instruction for residents in parts of the rural Goulburn River National Park to seek shelter, as it was “too late to leave” for those in the Baerami, Baerami Creek, Widden, Yarrawa, and Kerrabee areas due to a large, uncontained bushfire.

The extreme fire danger was driven by soaring temperatures, with parts of Sydney, including Penrith, hitting a high of 41.7 degrees, confirming the heightened risk across the Hunter Valley, Greater Sydney, Illawarra, and Central Coast regions. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese sent a message of support, assuring that the federal government stands “ready to assist the NSW government.”