The eye of the fire: Inside a terrifying blaze that ‘exploded’ near Sydney

The eye of the fire: Inside a terrifying blaze that ‘exploded’ overnight forcing firefighters to flee for their lives – as hundreds of infernos tear through towns across the east coast

  • Emergency warnings were issued for seven major bushfires burning in NSW on Thursday afternoon 
  • Firefighters have had a long night battling blazes from the NSW south coast all the way to Queensland 
  • Shocking photos from Thursday night showed a towering glaze engulfing properties at Green Wattle Creek 

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Firefighters have had a long night battling blazes stretching from the New South Wales south coast all the way to the Queensland border, ahead of another day of severe fire danger as smoke haze continues to blanket Sydney.

Emergency warnings were issued for seven major bushfires burning in NSW on Thursday and the fires were threatening communities across the state as night fell.

Shocking photos from Thursday night showed a towering blaze engulfing properties at Green Wattle Creek south-west of Sydney, sending embers raining down on fire crews who had to sprint to safety before three were airlifted to hospital with minor burns.

Firefighters from Menai on the south coast of NSW shared footage of themselves barely escaping a raging fire on Thursday which was approaching Orangeville, west of Camden – less than 70km from the CBD. 

Deputy Commissioner Rob Rogers warned we are enduring a horror fire season. 

He said: ‘I think the really difficult thing is the amount of fire people have seen since the beginning of August how much fire we’ve had in the northern part of NSW – well we’ve just replicated that in the central part of the state as well as still having the north going so it’s quite extraordinary conditions.’

Explosion of flame: Shocking photos from Thursday night showed a towering glaze engulfing properties at Green Wattle Creek south west of Sydney

Hell on Earth: The blaze sent embers raining down on fire crews as they pulled the hoods of their protective clothing to cover their necks

Hell on Earth: The blaze sent embers raining down on fire crews as they pulled the hoods of their protective clothing to cover their necks

Experts are predicting Australia will continue to burn throughout January and February - and possibly into Autumn as well.

Shocking video from Menai

Experts are predicting Australia will continue to burn throughout January and February – and possibly into Autumn as well. Pictured: Shocking video from Menai

NSW Rural Fire Service crews protect properties on Waratah Road and Kelyknack Road north of Sydney

NSW Rural Fire Service crews protect properties on Waratah Road and Kelyknack Road north of Sydney

By early morning Friday conditions had eased with warnings dropping down to ‘watch and act’ for the Currowan fire north of Batemans Bay, the Three Mile blaze and the Gospers Mountain at Lithgow and the Little L Complex and Paddock Run fires near Singleton.

Sydney residents woke up to another day of thick smoke haze across the city with authorities warning poor air quality conditions would continue through Friday.

The smoke is being blown from large fires to near Warragamba Dam and the Wollombi National Park.

Almost the entire coastal area of NSW and much of the state’s northeast have a severe fire danger rating for Friday.

Total fire bans will be in place for the far South Coast and the Monaro alpine, southern ranges, Illawarra-Shoalhaven, central ranges, Greater Sydney, Greater Hunter, northern slopes and northwestern regions.

There were 97 bushfires burning across the state on Friday morning and less than half were contained.

More than 2,000 firefighters remain in the field battling the blazes.

Meanwhile in Queensland, temperatures up to 12C above average are expected in as firefighters continue to battle dozens of fires across the state.

Local resident Andrea Galea brings sausages for NSW Rural Fire Service crews protecting properties north of Sydney

Local resident Andrea Galea brings sausages for NSW Rural Fire Service crews protecting properties north of Sydney

NSW Rural Fire Service crews protect properties on Waratah Road and Kelyknack Road north of Sydney

NSW Rural Fire Service crews protect properties on Waratah Road and Kelyknack Road north of Sydney 

The severe fire conditions forecast for Friday have emergency crews on the alert following fears properties have been lost to a fast-moving bushfire on Queensland’s Darling Downs.

Late Thursday, a large fire near Millmerran west of Toowoomba had blackened almost 1200 hectares and was raging in the Western Creek State Forest near Cypress Gardens and Forest Ridge.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services issued a Watch and Act warning for the area early Friday morning.

Residents are being told to follow their bushfire survival plans and be ready to leave as ‘the situation could get worse quickly.’

More than 200,000 hectares have been burnt across the state since the beginning of the unprecedented bushfire season.

Since early November, 20 homes have burnt to the ground.

Meanwhile, temperatures up to 12 degrees above average and above 40C expected in the Lockyer Valley and Ipswich on Friday.

‘In eastern parts of Queensland, we are experiencing heatwave conditions as we are seeing temperatures between two and six degrees above average,’ the Bureau of Meteorology’s Jess Gardner said.

‘That will continue to increase over the coming days, peaking on Friday and Saturday getting up to 12 degrees above average.’

Emergency warnings were issued for seven major bushfires burning in NSW. Pictured: Crews protect properties on Waratah Road and Kelyknack Road north of Sydney

Emergency warnings were issued for seven major bushfires burning in NSW. Pictured: Crews protect properties on Waratah Road and Kelyknack Road north of Sydney

NSW Rural Fire Service crews protect properties on Waratah Road and Kelyknack Road north of Sydney

NSW Rural Fire Service crews protect properties on Waratah Road and Kelyknack Road north of Sydney