Marsden Park Elara: Bush fire and what the residents are planning to do
Merry Christmas and have a happy new year. 2019 has not ended on a happy note for many of us. We feel privileged to have what we have; the opportunity to enjoy these holidays with our families. For many in the state, rising temperatures and arid winds will elevate the bushfire danger as severe heatwave conditions build across NSW. Thousands of residents in new housing estates across the northwest, including Marsden Park Elara, are well aware of the dangers now and have prepared for the threat, that sounds like it’s far away, but could be upon them pretty quickly.
All this amidst the news that two firefighters have died, and 100 houses destroyed in these bushfires, in NSW, on Thursday and Saturday last week alone. Firefighters are using milder conditions in recent days to strengthen containment lines.
Areas of concern as of today (See: RFS)
Greater Lithgow area including Lithgow, Marrangaroo, Ben Bullen, Newnes, Wolgan Valley, Capertee, Bogee
- Active fires in these areas.
- Fire has passed through Lithgow and Angus Place, Wolgan and Newnes Junction areas.
- Heavy plant machinery are working around Hartley Vale, Capertee, Glen Davis, Glen Alice and Bogee to establish containment lines.
Bells Line of Road Clarence to Bilpin
- Fire has passed through this area and continues to burn on both sides of the Bells Line of Road. There is no current fire activity around Clarence and Dargan.
Lower Grose Valley, Mountain Lagoon and Blaxland Ridge including Kurrajong Heights, Kurrajong, Bowen Mountain and Yarramundi
- Backburning operations will be conducted over the coming days to reinforce containment lines. This may bring an increase in smoke and fire activity.
Families in new housing estates including suburbs we work in like Marsden Park Elara, are preparing to “drop everything and leave immediately”. They feel it is better to be prepared than sorry, even though the fires are burning far from them, in places like Bilpin, Kurrajong and Lithgow.
Marsden Park Elara residents feel a ring of fire could engulf them. They have raised concerns that dense bushlands surround escape routes. This is a grave concern as more than 46,000 people now live in the suburbs like Marsden Park Elara, Riverstone, Kellyville and Box Hill.
Talks of amalgamation of stations in the region
All this comes amid talks of a ‘Mega fire station’, with the RFS discussing possible amalgamations of Marsden Park, Plumpton, Shanes Park and Berkshire Park fire stations.
No stations are expected to close. There is discussion around the amalgamation of facilities to create a better-situated mega-station. A spokesman for Emergency Services Minister, David Elliott ruled out talks of station closures.
Possible clogging at the escape routes out of Marsden Park Elara
It is a nightmare getting out of Marsden Park Elara in peak hours. The roads are paralysed on a daily basis. This could be exacerbated during an emergency. It could be impossible to evacuate everyone. Residents feel an adequate emergency plan does not exist; all they know is that they need to pack up and go.
A resident mentioned that community groups had clambered to organise Rural Fire Service safety briefings as many were “ignorant of the fire danger”.
“The most significant concern would be the number of residents that would need to be evacuated,” she said. “And the limited resources of the Marsden Park Rural Fire Brigade.” A single-tanker station, like Marsden Park Elara, will be inadequate to cope in an urgent situation.
NSW RFS is tackling fire all across the state and the blue mountains. Specialist local volunteers from Kellyville, Glenorie, Glenhaven, Rouse Hill, Wisemans Ferry, Maroota, Round Corner and North Rocks have gathered to assist crews battling fires.
