Firefighters Battle Bushfires North of Sydney as 'Catastrophic' Fires Expected Tuesday

Volunteer firefighters with the Ingleside Rural Fire Brigade battled bushfires in the Rainbow Flat and Wherrol Flat areas north of Sydney on Monday, November 11, hosing down and hoeing smoldering ground in wooded areas.

To the south, the effects of the large bushfires raging in the state of New South Wales were beginning to impact Sydney, as smoke drifted over the city in a prelude to what could be unprecedented fire danger.

With temperatures in Sydney forecast to reach around 95 to 100 F (the mid to high 30s Celsius) and winds gusting up to 50 mph (80 kilometers per hour) on Tuesday, a New South Wales Rural Fire Service (RFS) spokesman told the Sydney Morning Herald “this is as bad as it gets,” warning embers could travel up to 19 miles (30 kilometers).

At least 64 bush and grass fires were burning across New South Wales, 40 of which had not been contained, on November 11, the RFS said. At least 10 fires were burning out of control at “Watch and Act” level. Three people had died by November 11, fire services said, and more than 150 homes had been lost.

The RFS predicted “catastrophic fire danger” for Greater Sydney on November 12. Similar warnings were in place for the Illawarra, Shoalhaven, and Hunter regions.

More than 200 schools were expected to close as a result of the fire threat, NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said.

Here, the Ingleside Rural Fire Brigade said its personnel would be on standby for the expected fire danger on Tuesday, November 12. Credit: Ingleside Rural Fire Brigade via Storyful