About 100,000 homes in the Sydney area are said to be at risk
By CHARLIE MOORE and KAREN RUIZ FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA
Sydney residents living near bushland should be prepared to evacuate today as the city faces an ‘unprecedented level of bushfire danger’ and authorities will not be able to save everyone, officials have warned.
The city is facing ‘catastrophic’ conditions with fears 37C temperatures, 90kmh winds and low levels of humidity could produce the ‘perfect firestorm’.
About 100,000 homes in the Sydney area are said to be at risk, with 31,500 of those in the city’s North Shore.
The Army is ready to deploy helicopters to evacuate residents whose lives are endangered amid warnings of ‘the most dangerous bushfire week this nation has ever seen’.
At 9 am on Tuesday morning there were 57 fires burning across NSW with 28 uncontained and 55 in Queensland.
NSW RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said nine in the state are at ‘watch and act status’ and that he expects some to reach emergency level today.
Winds are forecast to pick up in the Blue Mountains from around 11 am and reach up to 90kmh after 6 pm, meaning fires would spread rapidly.
Meanwhile, police have warned about criminals looting from the ruined houses of devastated bushfire victims on the mid-north coast.
NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys said any thefts would be ‘thoroughly’ investigated, adding: ‘These communities have suffered enough without individuals stealing what items they have left.’
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