NSW: Crews hope cooler weather will help them control blaze
26 Jan 2009 3:56 PM
SYDNEY, Jan 26 AAP - Firefighters hope cooler weather will help them control a massive bushfire burning on the NSW south coast.
The fire has swept across 1,200 hectares of the Budawang National Park, 30km from Batemans Bay, since it was sparked by a lightning strike on Tuesday.
Five waterbombing aircraft and about 60 firefighters continue to fight the blaze.
"It's still burning uncontained. We're hoping, if conditions allow today (Monday), to do some back-burning operations," a Rural Fire Service (RFS) spokesman said.
"The cooler conditions, as well as the showers, will assist in the firefighting effort and it also brings higher humidity, which assists firefighting work too.
"We are not expecting warmer weather until later in the week, so we're trying to get on top of the fire in the next few days."
Despite its size, the bushfire is not threatening property but has closed the Western Distributor Road to all but residents and emergency vehicles, the spokesman said.
The Kings Highway remains open but motorists have been advised to drive cautiously through smoke.
Further south, a small forest fire is burning in the Bega Valley, 25km from Pambula, but is not threatening property.
