It had to happen given the dangerous bushfire levels being reported across NSW. The region near Coonabarabran has been devastated and images on the news this morning shows Siding Springs Observatory in the middle of it. This is extremely sad as I have visited that observatory several times and seeing it amongst the blackened forest is disturbing. Let's hope we don't have a repeat of what happened in Canberra when that Observatory was destroyed. And of course the 39 homes destroyed...
Yeah, was quite disturbing doing the EWN alerts on Sunday with thunderstorms and bushfire warnings for the area. The RFS published some photos and I had huge concerns Siding Springs Observatory was going to be destroyed. Amazingly not much damage there.
I have read in the Dubbo Liberal that this fire was fanned by 80 km/h gales late Sunday and it is suggested that the plume reached 14 km (That is more than 46,000 feet). Certainly homes have been lost and I have read in the Sydney Morning Herald that the local pub at Barradine has become a fire refuge during this crises.
Temperatures are heating up again across New South Wales and the prognosis does not good for the next few days with more heat returning. Siding Springs appears to have escaped the worst but it appears some staff who work there have lost homes.
The Warranbungles NP fire started from lightning on Saturday – at least it wasn’t arsonists.
This photo of the fire from a commercial pilot.
That is one incredible picture Michael Bath from the air! The best I have seen I think since aerial photographs from the Canberra bushfire!