NSW: Bushfire jumps containment line, national park burns
07 Jan 2009 8:27 AM
SYDNEY, Jan 7 AAP - Firefighters will battle hot and dry summer conditions again on Wednesday as they work to contain a bushfire that has burnt out more than 360 hectares in the NSW southern highlands.
The fire, in rugged and inaccessible terrain inside Morton National Park, jumped a creek on Tuesday that firefighters were depending on as a containment line.
Temperatures are predicted to reach the high 30s again on Wednesday and efforts to contain the blaze will depend mainly on waterbombing by seven aircraft.
Bushland is being scorched in a high plateau area of the national park with gullies dropping to 100 metres, keeping ground efforts to less than 20 NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) firefighters.
RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons says bringing the blaze under control will be the focus of Wednesday's efforts.
"Our firefighters overnight and indeed today have been focusing on tidying up and establishing containment lines so that they can focus on getting the upper hand in the next few days," Mr Fitzsimmons told Macquarie Radio.
The bushfire was sparked on Sunday by a lightning strike and is burning eight kilometres southwest of Bundanoon. No properties are at risk.
A smoke warning is in place for the Kangaroo Valley and the Shoalhaven Heads.
All areas of NSW are at high to extreme fire danger levels, with districts in the state's southwest under total fire bans.
Another bushfire, in Yengo National Park in the NSW Hunter region, has destroyed more than 110 hectares but is being brought under control.
Weather conditions are expected to change late on Wednesday, bringing cooler conditions and higher humidity.
