Residents in the remote Northern Territory town of Tennant Creek are bracing for their second mega-blaze in as many months, as catastrophic fire warnings continue across the territory.
Subscribe now for unlimited access to all our agricultural news
across the nation
or signup to continue reading
A watch-and-act notice was put in place for the 3000 residents on Friday morning, two days after a fire tore through a mining site on the town's outskirts.
NT Acting Chief Fire Officer Joshua Fischer said two fire bombers were stationed above the town to protect homes in the area.
"We've got wind gusts up to 55km/h now expected for Tennant Creek, which is really going to drive those fires and they'll be very fast-moving, very dangerous conditions for firefighters to be working in," he said on Friday.
Tony Fuller from Bushfires NT said there was a "pretty significant" risk to property, livestock and lives in the Barkly region.
"We wouldn't be committing the resources we are if we didn't think there was a threat," he said.
Late rains in central NT hindered efforts to properly prepare for the summer bushfire threat, Mr Fuller said.
The Stuart Highway is closed north of Tennant Creek due to smoke and fire activity.
North of Alice Springs, additional resources have been sent to help the remote community of Ti Tree as a separate fire inches closer to the town.
Heavy and abnormal rains during La Nina events have resulted in extraordinary fuel loads this year as the territory continues to swelter through an unusually hot and dry summer.
In only two months, 12.8 million hectares of land have burnt in what NT authorities are describing as the worst fire season in decades.
While homes could be in the firing line, pastoralists and remote cattle stations are bearing the brunt of the increased fire activity.
Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said she was working with the cattle association to help support pastoralists.
"These fires have had a prolonged impact, and some of the impact is perhaps not straightforward," she said on Friday.
In September an Emergency Situation was declared as a bushfire four times the size of the ACT narrowly missed the town of Tennant Creek.
Assets from interstate were brought in to help battle the September blaze, though authorities say this time that will be unlikely.
"Both Queensland and eastern and southern states have currently got active fires that they're working on," Mr Fischer said.
"It's really difficult for them to release resources to come into the into to support us."
Australian Associated Press
