Sydney suburbs battle bush fires

Giant helitankers drop thousands of litres of water

Bush fires are threatening homes in the northern suburbs of Sydney for a second day, as police found incendiary devices left by arsonists.

Firefighters working side-by-side with residents are tackling the flames with water pumped from swimming pools.

We've got a garden sprinkler on the roof and all the downpipes are filled up with water

Sydney resident Deborah Bear

Helicopters were dumping hundreds of gallons of water on the fires and bulldozers created fire-breaks to protect homes.

"Today it's about as bad a picture as you can conjure up," said regional fire chief Phil Koperberg.

Click here for a map of the fires threatening Sydney

Police said one of the two incendiary devices they found was at the scene of a fire still consuming parkland in the northern suburbs of Sydney.

The number of people charged with arson is now 21 including 14 juveniles. The adults face up to 14 years in prison if convicted.

Fire-breaks created

"I want to rub their noses in the ashes they have caused," said New South Wales Premier Bob Carr.

"I want them to meet the people they have put at risk."

Police, who have set up a special investigation team, say they have had reports of a motorcyclist seen lighting fires in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney.

Relatively mild conditions overnight allowed emergency services space to create more fire-breaks around the city, saving 300 homes in the Pennant Hills area.

Firefighters worked through the night

But Wednesday has brought further strong and erratic winds and temperatures of up to 35C.

Several fires are no more than a 10-minute drive from the city's central business district.

"We've got a garden sprinkler on the roof and all the downpipes are filled up with water," said Deborah Bear in the threatened suburb of Pymble.

"We are just hosing down everything making sure everything is nice and wet."

Evacuation

Other areas of New South Wales are also under threat.

About 1,000 people had to be evacuated in the coastal resort of Sussex Inlet as fires jumped across a major road and destroyed several homes.

Another 600 people were also evacuated from the Bowen Mountain area west of Sydney.

Thousands of native animals have been caught in the flames

A fire near Kurrajong Heights, in the lower Blue Mountains is threatening to burst out of control.

At Springwood in the Blue Mountains, householders used buckets to extinguish small fires caused by windborne embers.

South of Sydney, near the town of Nowra, the fire claimed another home as hundreds of people were evacuated.

Hundreds more have fled towns along the Hawkesbury River north of Sydney.

A large swathe of forest is ablaze on the southern outskirts of Canberra, Australia's capital, 200km (120 miles) from Sydney.

Mr Koperberg said the 10,000 personnel under his command were feeling the strain and faced a fire perimeter of about 2,000km (1,200 miles).

Ash litters beaches

Hundreds of reinforcements are being flown in from other Australian states and from New Zealand.

In the past week, more than 100 fires have broken out in New South Wales, destroying at least 150 homes and about 300,000 hectares (740,000 acres) of bush - an area twice the size of greater London.

Thousands of people have been evacuated from towns and villages since the fires began on Christmas Day.

For days, thick smoke has hung over Sydney's famous landmarks, including the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. The beaches are blackened by ash and burnt leaves.

---

Click here to return