Sir Ivan Fire Concerns

LOCAL rural fire services say the smoke seen rolling towards Scone is from the Sir Ivan fire which is burning out of control at Leadville and may threaten the townships of Cassilis and Merriwa.

Currently the fire front is 65 kilometres north west of Merriwa and has burnt out more than 8,500 hectares explained Stuart Daniels, deputy captain of the Kingdon Ponds Rural Bush Fire Service.

The fire began in Leadville and is spreading towards Cassilis and Merriwa.

“It is a big fire burning out of control towards Cassilis and Merriwa,” said Mr Daniels.

“We’ve been monitoring it since 10 am this morning and it’s traveling at a rate of 4 or 5 kilometres an hour, so it shouldn’t impact Scone and the southerly change expected tonight should push it further north,” he said.

“Merriwa could experience some ashing and hopefully that ash is not still burning to create any more grass fires, but there are some strike teams in place at Cassilis and Merriwa and we have a lot of equipment there ready to go if needed,” he said.

“It is going towards Merriwa, there are still concerns for Casslis especially later in the afternoon, but it is burning more in a south easterly direction,” he said.

“There are fires everywhere and you can see them on the NSW RFS website, there are a couple of large fires burning in the Barrington Tops and some starting in Gunnedah, but around Scone things are ok at the moment and hopefully they stay that way,” Stuart Daniels said.

For more information visit Fires Near Me on the NSW Rural Fire Services website.

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