02/01/2020
🚨 ADDITIONAL BUSHFIRE INFORMATION
THIS PAGE WILL NO LONGER BE UPDATED: PLEASE REFER TO MORE RECENT POSTS
UPDATED: 6:00PM Thursday
🔥 For current fire information please refer to the pinned post https://www.facebook.com/abcriverina/posts/2844112655611956?__tn__=K-R
🏠 Towns at risk from the fire:
The latest recommendation from the RFS to residents in Batlow, Adelong and Tumbarumba is to leave before tomorrow.
If you are in this area you are advised to travel north towards Wagga, through Adelong via Batlow Road and Old Tumbarumba Road then the Hume Highway and Sturt Highway.
The evacuation centre at Adelong is being moved to Wagga to move it further away from the fire risk.
Essential Energy are hoping to have the power back on in Tumbarumba tonight, but that is best case scenario so isn't guaranteed. Phones are still out though.
🎙 Community meetings: (Please call, email or PM if you know of more and I will add to this list)
Residents looking for specific information that is not covered in the RFS Community Newsletter should contact the Bushfire Information Line on 1800 679 737.
The Mannus Correctional Centre is being evacuated this afternoon due to the expected fire danger.
🔭 Looking for loved ones:
Communications and power are out in Tumbarumba and many smaller communities as phone towers are being burned out. If you can't get on to loved ones, don't panic. Use the Red Cross register: https://register.redcross.org.au/
Please don't ask the Tumbarumba RFS to check up on loved ones. They don't have the resources to do so. Communications and power are down in Tumba which is why you can't contact them.
🐮 Livestock:
Local Land Services are on hand to assist with stock assessment, euthanasia and vet assistance. They are also able to help with emergency fodder and water.
Farmers and livestock managers in Monaro Alpine, Southern and Central Ranges, and Southern Slopes areas, are being urged to prepare livestock now ahead of worsening fire conditions predicted for Saturday.
If animals are to remain on a property at risk of fire, you should:
⚠️ ensure all resources are in an accessible and known location;
⚠️fill all water troughs and any additional containers;
⚠️turn off power sources such as electrical fences.
If a safe area for livestock is unavailable, you can open internal gates or cut internal fencing to give animals opportunities to escape danger - however, animals should never be let loose on roads.
Landholders impacted by bushfire who require assistance with emergency fodder and water, or with livestock assessment can call the Agricultural and Animal Services Hotline on 1800 814 647.
In an emergency call 000.
BUSH FIRE AFFECTED ASSISTANCE - Bushfire-affected land managers are encouraged to call our hotline on 1800 814 647 (operating daily 8am-8pm) to request assistance with services including emergency fodder and livestock water, animal assessments and veterinary services.
PREPARE AND ACT EARLY - Conditions are expected to deteriorate over the next few days. Act early to make sure your animals are as safe as possible. Consider moving them to the property of family or friends well out of the fire affected area if safe to do so. Tumut Showgrounds and Holbrook Showgrounds and Sporting Complex are open as a self-care shelter places for large and small animals. These facilities can house domestic animals as well as larger animals such as horses, cattle and sheep.
Elders Adelong is organising emergency fodder drops - Elders are coordinating hay drops and transport of stock in the coming days, using the Adelong yards as required. A drop is also being organised to the Yaven Creek Fire Shed - If you require assistance, please contact Rob Stubbs on 0417 478 886 or
(02) 6941 3100.
If you are able to donate hay or other stock feeds to those who have lost so much, please also call the team. This is short-term assistance only and the Elders team will be handing over to Local Land Services over the coming days.
🐴 Horse evacuations:
Colvin Racing has paddocks available for horses needing evacuation. Call Gary on 0412 481 459
Charles Sturt University Equine Centre is open and able to take horses. There are 20 undercover stables and shady day yards available, as well as space to set up your own yards. Powered camping, toilets and showers are available. Access is via Starvation lane off Agriculture avenue Wagga Wagga. Joe Price is the facility manager: call him on 0408 992 119 if you plan to arrive so he can give you a hand.
🏥 Hospital Information:
Murrumbidgee Local Health District advises that Batlow MPS (Hospital) has been evacuated.
All residents, patients and staff have been safely transferred to other facilities.
Residents and patients will continue to receive their care.
The Hospital services will resume when it's safe for staff to return.
Tumut Hospital remains open.
In case of an emergency call 000
💵 Disaster assistance;
Disaster recovery assistance has been extended to the Greater Hume, Snowy Monaro, Snowy Valleys and Upper Lachlan council areas.
Assistance measures available may include:
• help for eligible people whose homes or belongings have been damaged;
• support for affected local councils to help with the costs of cleaning up and restoring damaged essential public assets;
• concessional interest rate loans for small businesses, primary producers and non-profit organisations;
• freight subsidies for primary producers; and
• grants to eligible non-profit organisations.
Contact the Disaster Welfare Assistance Line on 1800 018 444. To apply for a concessional loan, grant or freight subsidy, contact the NSW Rural Assistance Authority on 1800 678 593 or visit www.raa.nsw.gov.au.
☎️ Telecommunications:
Telstra says 40 towers around NSW are currently out of action - at this stage all due to loss of power, none have been affected by fire.
Crews and generators are waiting to enter areas to get mobile coverage up again as a priority but cannot do so until cleared that it's safe by the RFS.
That includes Tumbarumba, Jingellic, Khancoban and Mannus areas.
⚡️ Power:
Essential energy provided 4pm 2/1/2020:
Power has been restored to approximately 23,000 of the 37,000 customers impacted by fires New Year’s Eve.
Several areas affected by the south-east fires remain unsafe for crews to access and some areas could be without power well into late next week.
The situation is likely to worsen given the conditions expected on Saturday.
Initial indications are that in excess of 560 poles have been destroyed by the fires and this number is likely to increase as crews assess impacted areas.
Customers impacted by current outages:
Tumbarumba/Adelong and surrounding areas - 644
Jingellic – 55
🚗 Roads:
Lower Bago Road, Taradale Road, Jingellic Road, Wondalga Road, Batlow Road, Tooma Road, Goat Ridge Road, and Elliot Way are all closed in part or fully.
Alpine Way and Kozciuszko Road around Jindabyne are also closed.
The Snowy Mountains Highway has CLOSED from south of Tumut (Tumut Plains Rd) to Adaminaby due to a fire (4:30pm 1/1/20) Residents only are allowed between Tumut and Talbingo.
The Transport Management Centre asks you to avoid non-essential travel to the South Coast and Riverina Highlands.
Driving with headlights on is recommended so other vehicles can see you in poor visibility. Please drive cautiously and safely.
Keep up to date with the latest closures on the Live Traffic app or website: https://www.livetraffic.com/desktop.html
📻 Emergency broadcasting:
Keep up to date by listening to ABC Riverina. Find your frequency here: http://reception.abc.net.au/
You can also listen on the ABC Listen app by searching for ABC Riverina or online: https://www.abc.net.au/radio/riverina/live/
And follow this page, we will continue to update it.
Check the NSW Rural Fire Service website: https://bit.ly/35jzEOZ
The Tumut and Adelong Times are also doing a great job updating locals what's happening so check them out as well.
🤝 Lending a hand:
The evacuation centre at Tumbarumba cannot take anymore donations.
People can instead donate to the Red Cross, Salvos, Anglicare and other registered organisations.
📸 Your content:
Do you have photos, videos or news of what's happening on the ground? Message it to us, email us or call in. We may also respond to your comments asking if we can use your content or contact you.
Our email: [email protected]
Phone: 02 6923 4811
Finally, please look after one another. ❤️
