Cooler conditions bring some relief for firefighters

Samantha Lock | September 21, 2023

After days of unseasonable heat and strong winds, fire crews battling blazes across NSW hope a cool change will bring a break from the challenging conditions.

More than 1000 firefighters battled 73 fires into the night on Wednesday.

At least three homes on Sydney’s western fringe and on the Queensland border were at risk, with residents told to prepare to leave as blazes burned in nearby bushland.

But firefighters were able to gain the upper hand and slow the spread of the fires, with the threat to properties easing by 6pm.

With temperatures dropping to the low 20s across much of the state, crews are hoping for a better day on Thursday.

NSW has sweltered for days with maximum temperatures 10C to 15C above the September average.

A total fire ban remains in force for the NSW northwestern region, which includes the Moree Plains, Narrabri, Walgett and Warrumbungle council areas.

Fire danger ratings also remain high in the far north coast, New England, Greater Hunter, northern slopes and upper central-west plains regions.

Premier Chris Minns was worried about the risks posed by the soaring temperatures given that it was still early spring.

“It’s September and we’re already experiencing four days in a row of temperatures above 30 degrees with high winds,” he said on Wednesday.

“We are concerned about a horror summer.”