A bushfire covering more than 1000 hectares south-east of Canberra has jumped a fire break.
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On Thursday night, it was described by the NSW Rural Fire Service as "out of control", it was also the only bushfire in NSW to be at a watch and act level.
The fire is burning in Tallaganda National Park, 50 kilometres from Canberra.
The RFS said the fire was burning in a westerly direction towards Forbes Creek and Hoskintown. The fire was also burning in the east towards Muloons Creek and Bombay.
A spokesman from the NSW Lake George Zone RFS said properties were being defended by on-ground crews, due to concerns around spot fires. He said there had been reports of isolated spot fires.
If there was no change in wind direction, the fire would pose an immediate threat to properties, the spokesman said.
The fire is "largely" burning within the national park, but the spokesman said it was nearing towards the edge near Forbes Creek, he could not confirm if it had jumped outside park lines.
The spokesman said crews had determined a line, and if that line was crossed the fire would be upgraded to emergency level. On Thursday night, he said they were "comfortable" with that line and had managed to hold it.
Those in the area of Forbes Creek and Hoskintown were advised to monitor for smoke and embers that may threaten property well ahead of the main fire front.
The Hoskingtown-Rossi RFS advised "residents of Forbes Creel, Old Mill Road and Daniels Lane to enact their fire plan now. If your plan is to go - GO NOW".
Leonie Wilson, of Hoskintown, decided to evacuate her property as a precaution due to the fire. She has been a resident of the township for five years.
Her family were helping her evacuate on Thursday evening, she also evacuated during the Carwoola Fires in 2017.
Larges plumes of smoke could be seen across the ACT and Queanbeyan on Thursday night, but the ACT Emergency Service Agency moved to assure Canberrans that the smoke plumes from the fire did not pose a threat to the territory.
On Friday there is a total fire ban for the ACT and Queanbeyan-Palerang region, with the fire danger rating 'very high' for both.
The Bureau of Meterology has forecast dry conditions tomorrow with a predicted temperature of 34 degrees.
The spokesman said the weather has been "erratic" and "not necessarily" as forecast. He said people should be prepared for the fire to be "erratic" on Friday.
The fire started on Tuesday and was ignited by lightning. On Wednesday the fire was being controlled with 10 trucks, 35 firefighters, two helicopters and two bulldozers fighting the blaze.
The RFS was battling the blaze when the wind changed, producing what Inspector Chris Allen called "erratic fire behaviour". The fire was generating a lot of smoke so it was difficult to assess it from the air, he said.
Inspector Allen said the main fire covered between 1100 and 1200 hectares with spot fires beyond that central area.
Steve Evans
Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues."
Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues."
Lucy Bladen
Lucy Bladen has been a journalist at The Canberra Times since 2019. She is an ACT politics and health reporter. Email: l.bladen@canberratimes.com.au
Lucy Bladen has been a journalist at The Canberra Times since 2019. She is an ACT politics and health reporter. Email: l.bladen@canberratimes.com.au
