New South Wales fires continue to rage
Thursday, 3 January 2002 22:48
Thousands of people in Australia are spending a second night camping out on beaches and in car parks to escape bush fires that are still raging across the state of New South Wales.
Fires in the northern suburbs of Sydney have now been contained, but others are burning out of control to the west of the city and on the coast to the south. There have been no reported deaths.
Some 10,000 firefighters are dealing with more than 100 fires over an area of greater than 2,000 kilometres. One fire that led to the evacuation of 7,000 people from the tourist resort of Sussex Inlet is now moving towards two other towns further south.
Fire officials have said that weather conditions are easing, with moist easterly winds replacing the dry westerlies that have been fanning the flames. But without rain there is no end in sight to the fires.
At least half of the wildfires were deliberately started. Police have arrested 21 suspects, including 14 juveniles, aged between 9 and 16 years. As the hunt for more arsonists continues, police said they found pieces of incendiary devices at the scene of two separate fires.
- News At One: Red Harrison reports from Sydney
- 6.01 News: Susan Byrne reports on the Australian bushfires
- 1.00 News: Susan Byrne reports on the fires and the battle to contain them
