Devastating bushfires are tearing through New South Wales (NSW), leading to the confirmed loss of multiple homes and prompting urgent emergency warnings in two separate regions of the Australian state.
The NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) confirmed the destruction, with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reporting on Saturday afternoon that live aerial footage showed at least six properties consumed by fire on Nimbin Road, near the Central Coast suburb of Koolewong.
The blaze on Nimbin Road, which was actively burning in a southerly direction toward Lara Street, forced the RFS to issue an emergency evacuation order.
Residents in the direct path—including those on Nimbin Road, Glenrock Parade, Lara St, and Nimala Ave—were advised that they were at risk and urged to “Leave now if the path is clear towards Woy Woy.”
The fire activity also disrupted major infrastructure, causing the suspension of train services on the Central Coast & Newcastle Line due to the proximity of the flames to the tracks at Koolewong.
Adding to the state’s crisis, the RFS later issued a second, even more severe emergency warning for a major bushfire burning in the Upper Hunter region, over 200 km northwest of Sydney.
Residents in the areas of Baerami, Baerami Creek, Widden, Yarrawa, and Kerrabee were told they were in immediate danger and, critically, that it was “too late for them to leave.”
Authorities instructed people in these areas to seek immediate shelter within a sturdy, solid structure, such as a house. (Xinhua)