Australian Town, Dolphin Point, Under Threat From Bushfire

Dozens of homes are under threat from a fire burning out of control near the town of Dolphin Point on the Australian state of New South Wales' south coast.


A NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) spokesman says residents in the towns of Lake Tabourie and Dolphin Point are on alert as three waterbombing helicopters and 90 firefighters battle blazes in the area.

"We do have a lot of firefighters in there to protect those properties," said the spokesman.


Residents have been warned to protect their properties and be aware of smoke and ash affecting homes in High View Drive and Seaside Parade in Dolphin Point.

West to southwesterly winds of 40 kilometers per hour, with gusts of up to 60 kilometers per hour, are forecast for the area on Sunday afternoon.

The strong winds and erratic gusts are threatening to fan flames and cause problems for firefighters.


"We're still doing property protection in Dolphin Point and as the fire continues to move behind properties in that area," said the spokesman.

More than 100 Dolphin Point homes are surrounded mostly by bushland, including state forest and conservation areas.

"Crews are being hampered by that west, southwest wind which is expected to be quite gusty today," said the spokesman. "We're alerting all residents in the area to protect their property because they may be affected by smoke and ash."

Firefighters are closely monitoring the Lake Tabourie fire, which is moving alongside the Princes Highway.

The highway has been closed to traffic south of Burrill Lake.

The spokesman said the RFS's policy of allowing property owners to choose to stay and defend their homes or evacuate was still in place.

However, he said at this stage, Dolphin Point residents who had chosen to stay should not leave their homes.
"If the person feels that their property is well prepared and they themselves are both physically and mentally prepared and can defend their property, they are free to do so.

"If they feel they could not cope with the situation and their property is not prepared, they need to leave well ahead."

NSW Emergency Services Minister Steve Whan said the early fires on the South Coast could be a sign of a very difficult fire season ahead.

"People here in the fire control are telling me that they haven't seen fire behavior like this at this time of year before," he told ABC Radio.

Further south, the strong winds are also a concern for residents close to a bushfire burning at Tilba.