AT LEAST three homes have been destroyed and several more remain under threat as a large bushfire continues to rage out of control at Carabost, south-east of Wagga.
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The fire, burning in dense pine plantations in and around the Murraguldrie State Forest, had burned more than 8000 hectares last night and remained at a Watch and Act alert level.
Flames in the pine plantations crowned at more than two-and-a-half times the size of trees, reaching at least 100 metres in height as they tore through the vegetation.
What were once thriving pine plantations just two days ago have been reduced to barren and lifeless landscapes by the fire, which is believed to have been started by a lightning strike on Saturday afternoon.
Variable winds in the area had been difficult for firefighters trying to establish containment lines ahead of an anticipated wind change due in last night.
Firefighters were working to establish a major break to the southern and western sides of the fire before a wind change from the north-east, forecast to arrive about midnight, swung the fire around once again.
Riverina Rural Fire Service community safety officer James Smith said firefighters were “as confident as we can be” that their containment lines would hold in the face of the blustery conditions.
“The lines at this stage are as strong as we can make them,” he said.
“When the conditions are right we work to make those lines even deeper.”
More than 200 firefighters have been tackling the blaze, aided by two Skycrane helicopters and a number of other fixed-wing aircraft.
Thick smoke from the fire blanketed much of the region with ash falling across large sections of the fireground for most of the day.
Residents asked to leave
Emergency warnings were twice issued for the blaze, one about 1am yesterday and another at 3pm as the blaze rampaged through pine forests on Tumbarumba and Carabost roads.
The second emergency warning was triggered after a strong south-westerly change swept through the fire ground, whipping the fire into a frenzy as it began to intensify in speed and strength.
Residents of properties in the Carabost area were ordered to evacuate after the second emergency warning and were told to stay away last night by the RFS, with the fire continuing to threaten homes in the area.
The flare up threatened to cross Carabost Road to the east, where it would have ignited a separate pine plantation and potentially placed Humula under threat, but quick work by firefighters ensured the inferno was held at bay.
Humula escapes the worst
When the blaze first ignited late on Saturday afternoon, firefighters were initially concerned for the township of Humula, home to about 200 people.
Initially fanned by gusty south-westerly winds, it quickly rampaged north-east through the Murraguldrie State Forest before a wind change turned the danger away from the town and towards properties in the vicinity of Carabost.
Despite the danger appearing to have passed yesterday, the town remained eerily silent as the inferno continued to menace to the south.