DFA: No Pinoys hurt in bushfires in Australia

No Filipinos were hurt in the recent Australian bushfires in the northern and southwestern suburbs of Sydney and several areas of rural New South Wales, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.

In a report to Manila, the Philippine consulate general in Sydney said they received the report of the New South Wales Rural Fire Service (RFS) indicating that about 20 bushfires had been recorded since last Thursday and into the early morning of the following day.

Sydney Consul General Teresita Lazaro said Australian fire officials informed them that most of the fires have been brought under control or were extinguished.

Among the greater Sydney areas that were affected were the suburbs of Allambie Heights in the north and Lansdowne in the southwest.

There are around 6,000 Filipinos living near the vicinity of the two suburbs, according to Lazaro.

Australian officials added there were also several bushfire incidents in the countryside.

These are in an isolated area 14 kilometers east of the town of Condobolin in New South Wales Central West region and sections of state forest areas in the vicinities of Port Stephens, Lake Macquarie and Cessnock City in the Hunter Valley region. No persons and livestock were directly affected.

Condobolin is located 458 kilometers west of Sydney while the Hunter Valley region is around 150 kilometers north of Sydney.

Lazaro said there are 5,000 Filipinos in Condobolin while there are around 2,000 in the Hunter region.

The RFS has issued a three-day ban on the use of fire in open areas throughout New South Wales as hot, dry and windy conditions are expected across the state over the Christmas weekend.

The RFS assured that equipment and personnel had been readied to deal with possible contingencies.

Lazaro assured the DFA that the Consulate is regularly communicating with the Filipino community leaders living near the affected areas within and outside of Sydney and will continue to monitor developments as they occur during the Christmas and New Year’s holiday seasons.

She said New South Wales experienced a major bushfire outbreak during the 2002-2003 season due to prevailing drought and weather conditions.

Around 1.5 million hectares were burnt with 86 residential houses destroyed, most in northwestern Sydney and three civilian casualties. Fires similarly occurred in the states of Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory.