Tas: Firefighters on edge as conditions sour

AAP General News (Australia)
12-21-2006
Tas: Firefighters on edge as conditions sour

HOBART, Dec 21 AAP - A raging inferno that has broken containment lines will have Tasmanian
firefighters on edge today as they battle to control the blaze in the face of extreme
conditions.

The St Marys-Scamander bushfire on Tasmania's north-east coast yesterday breached
containment lines near plantations.

Crews were trying to hold the blaze back as firefighters continued backburning around
the fire's other fronts near Gray and Elephants Pass.

The Tasmania Fire Service (TFS) has declared a total fire ban across the state with
high temperatures, low humidity and strong northerly winds forecast for most areas.

Very high fire danger has been predicted for south-eastern Tasmania, the midlands and
inland parts of the central north.

TFS spokesman Jeff Knight said the fire causing most concern was the St Mary's-Scamander
fire, which is still not contained after destroying 17 homes and burning out more than
28,000 hectares.

"We've still got some concern to the south of the St Mary's fire down to Bicheno,"

Mr Knight said.

"If this fire's going to get away it's going to get away in that area."

Mr Knight said the past few days had been relatively quiet on the fire-fighting front,
allowing crews to gain the upper hand.

"(The fires) have all got control lines around them and we've been doing backburning
to strengthen control lines," he said.

"All the new fires we've had are now extinguished or controlled."

But he said the warmer and windier weather could push the St Mary's fire south along the coast.

Mr Knight said the next two days of hotter conditions will pose a challenge for firefighters
ahead of a cool change expected by Friday.

AAP cmb/imc/

KEYWORD: BUSHFIRES TAS DAYLEAD

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