NSW; Carr declares fire emergency

AAP General News (Australia)
02-18-1999
NSW; Carr declares fire emergency

SYDNEY, Feb 18 AAP - New South Wales Premier Bob Carr today declared the massive blaze
burning out of control in the state's south a bushfire emergency.

The declaration gives Rural Fire Service Commissioner Phil Koperberg the power to call on
the state's entire bushfire fighting resources to control the blaze near Crookwell, north-west
of Goulburn.

More than 400 firefighters with 60 tankers, two planes and a helicopter are battling to
control the blaze which is raging over 5,000 hectares of grassland and being fanned by strong
winds.

A spokesman for the NSW Rural Fire Service said the blaze, which started yesterday, was
currently about 30 kilometres away from Abercrombie National Park.

The task of controlling the fire had been made more difficult by south-south-west winds,
gusting up to 55km per hour in the area, he said.

A derelict house on a property had been destroyed, but no other homes were in immediate
danger, the spokesman said.

Mr Carr said a senior officer from his department had been dispatched to the area to
provide an assessment of the situation and was due to report back this afternoon.

The Premier said one farmer reported losing 2,000 sheep and he was going to spend the rest
of the day shooting the survivors.

"This appeared to be a tragic loss for people who are always doing it hard and we want to
make sure these families get all the help we're able to offer," he said.

A bushfire spokesman said he had not heard any report of stock losses.

AAP ns/sb/mw

KEYWORD: BUSHFIRES NSW

1999 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.