🛑Eurobodalla Emergency Operations Centre update - Friday 31 January 2020, 2:30pm🛑
🔥Fire advice for Eurobodalla residents
Residents in Eurobodalla’s rural and remote areas east and south of active fire fronts should enact their bushfire survival plan as conditions deteriorate today and continue into tomorrow. If you are not prepared to the highest standard and mentally and physically prepared to actively defend your home, you may need to relocate to safer areas. Stay vigilant to further RFS updates and alerts as the day progresses.
RFS has also identified communities around Tilba and Central Tilba as areas of concern tomorrow. As a result, the villages of Central Tilba and Tilba Tilba will be closed for business on Saturday. Residents are asked to relocate unless they intend to defend their property and to keep the streets clear of vehicles. This will allow firefighters the best chance of defending the heritage villages should fires impact.
If you are in an area likely to be impacted by fire, relocating to a safer location with friends or family is the preferred option. Please remember that leaving early is always safest. Options for relocating include town centres or areas where the fire has already burnt through. Stay with family or friends or set up your own camp. RFS anticipates most residents will be able to return home on Sunday.
Today’s Very High Fire Danger means there's potential for fire to impact the Princes Highway today or tomorrow between Bermagui and south of Moruya. Plan your travel so you're not stuck the wrong side of a highway closure, and if you can, stay off the road.
While RFS has highlighted areas of concern, the EOC reminds all residents they need to be vigilant and continue to monitor the situation and be ready to enact their bush fire survival plan.
Planning has been completed by the RFS to ensure firefighting resources are located where they are most needed.
More than 200 out-of-area firefighters are in the Eurobodalla to bolster firefighting efforts today and tomorrow.
☀️RFS weather advice
Conditions over Friday 31 January and Saturday 1 February 2020 are predicted to deteriorate with a return to warm and windy conditions. There remains a significant amount of uncontained fire between Moruya and the Victorian border.
Forecast for today is temperatures from 31-37 degrees, north easterly winds 20-30km/h and humidity which will range from 50% and drop to around 30% as the day warms. Villages along the coast can expect the humidity to stay around 50% all day.
Forecast for Saturday is temperatures 37-40 degree, north westerly winds 20-30km/h and humidity will be 20-30% along the coast and 10-20% inland and will likely drop as the day warms.
With the forecasted conditions tomorrow, Saturday, there is the potential for erratic fire behaviour.
A southerly is expected to move up the coast on Saturday evening, as south south easterly, it is expected in Merimbula at around 8pm, and in Moruya around 11pm. The southerly will bring gusty conditions up to 40-50km/h for a few hours and will bring an increase in humidity. Winds will remain 30-40km/h for a few hours.
Monitor Fires Near Me NSW, Live Traffic and local radio for the latest updates.
🏡Evacuation centres Evacuation centres in Moruya and Narooma moved to 24 hour service today until further notice.
📍Moruya evacuation centre: Moruya Basketball stadium, in the showgrounds, Albert Street, Moruya. Opens Friday 9am, 24/7
📍Narooma evacuation centre: Narooma Leisure Centre, Bluewater Drive, Narooma, opens Friday 9am, 24/7
📍Bermagui Surf Club evacuation centre, Lamont St, Bermagui
Please remember evacuation centres are a lifeboat, not a cruise ship. Be as self-sufficient as you can. Bring your own bedding and towels, and your own food. People with babies and young children, please bring nappies, formula, baby food, toys and activities. The strong preference is to re-house all animals with friends or family out of the fire zone. If this isn’t an option, smaller pets are welcome at the evacuation centres. Please bring pet food and bowls.
🐴Large animals (such as horses) can be accommodated under owner-care at Moruya Showground. Local Land Services reps are onsite at the showground to assist with animal welfare. For livestock, you can contact the Agriculture and Animal Services hotline on 1800 814 647 for advice.
⛺️People with camping equipment may camp on the grounds of each evacuation centre. Pack up tents and store them in cars before a fire front arrives. Embers will burn tents and make it unsafe for others.
📌Register your whereabouts
Whether you evacuate to a centre or to family and friends, register online at Register.Find.Reunite. This allows family and friends to find you without contacting response teams, which allows teams to focus on those most in need.
😷People with medical conditions
When fires threaten, people with medical conditions should move to an official evacuation centre immediately. Please take your required medication and copies of prescriptions. Do not present to the hospital unless you require immediate medical attention. The evacuation centres offer food, water, safety, company and St John’s Ambulance personnel.
🚗Roads and traffic
There’s lots of smoke around so if you're driving today PLEASE put your headlights on and drive to conditions.
Restrict driving on local roads west of the highway to essential trips only. There is still active fire and falling trees. Araluen Road, Larrys Mountain Road and Potato Point Road remain closed.
Please obey roadblocks – they are in place for your safety.
🚫Closures Primary schools in Central Tilba, Narooma, Bodalla and Moruya, as well as Moruya and Narooma high schools are closed today on advice from Rural Fire Service.
Moruya waste transfer station was impacted by fire and remains closed. Brou tip has fire activity around it and remains closed. Both facilities will re-open as soon as it is safe to do so. Surf Beach tip is open Monday to Friday 7am to 4.45pm, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays 8am to 3.45pm.
Narooma Library is closed today and tomorrow, and Narooma Out of School Hours Care and the Youth Café are closed today.
💡Power
Ahead of today and tomorrow’s worsening conditions, residents should make preparations to be without power if fire impacts the electricity network. Remember to stay 8 metres from down lines and assume they are live.
Essential Energy advise that 290 Eurobodalla customers are without power in the areas of Deep Creek, Mogendoura, Bodalla, Mogo, Nerrigundah, Rosedale, Nelligen, and around Moruya at Hawdons Road, Araluen Road and Yarragee Road. Crews continue their work to restore the damaged network and return power to residents. Customers can call 132080 for enquiries.
Essential Energy is encouraging residents in remote areas who have been without power for an extended time to call 132080 to arrange a generator.
💧Water
Please help conserve water for essential drinking water and firefighting. The shire’s water storage facility at Deep Creek Dam is now below fifty percent capacity.
Do not wet down buildings or grounds or leave sprinklers and hoses running. This is only useful when properties are under threat of fire or ember attack. An ember is a hot glowing coal – cold and blackened leaves are not embers.
🐮Animal welfare
South East Local Lands Service field crews are providing animal welfare support, including feed and water, following last Thursday’s fires.
They are available to provide advice to rural land owners about animal welfare for the predicted fire activity today and tomorrow. Call 1800 814 647.
🗣Community updates
Eurobodalla’s Emergency Operations Centre will provide community updates as required, distributed to media, social media, community associations and the evacuation centre. Stay updated with local radio, Fires Near Me, Live Traffic. If your life is in danger call Triple Zero (000).
Chief Inspector Greg Flood
Local Emergency Operations Controller
Emergency Operations Centre, Eurobodalla
31 January 2020, 2.30pm
