12 January 2013 at the Observatory were Early evening southerly change Late in the evening the fire was destroyed including lodgings still moving very fast in a north Late in the day a Triple Zero for visiting astronomers. Crews The fire was only 13km from to north-easterly direction. One (000) call indicated that a fire were unable to gain access the town of hundred firefighters were on has started in inhospitable for several hours due to fallen when a southerly changed the ground. Hot ash, affected country in the Warrumbungles powerlines, fallen trees, intense passed across the fireground. by strong and gusty winds, National Park, west of smoke and extreme heat on While it eased fire conditions, was falling in some areas. Coonabarabran. Timor Rd. it did send smoke and embers In Baradine, fifty kilometres NSW RFS crews including Late in the evening in a north and north easterly north of Coonabarabran, heavy waterbombing aircraft and firefighters arrived on site at direction toward Bugaldie. smoke was affecting residents National Parks and Wildlife the Observatory to protect A further Emergency Alert was and hospital patients. The local Service (NPWS) crews the remaining buildings issued for the Bulgadie area hospital was securing door responded quickly. The fire was and telescopes. The three and residents were encouraged and windows drafts with wet estimated to be 25ha burning FRNSW crews fought spot to evacuate. towels to prevent smoke along the northern side of John into facility. fires and ember attacks on the The fire was now burning Renshaw Parkway, running Observatory throughout the Electricity to the town of at around 2,500ha, five east at a moderate intensity but night. FRNSW Commissioner Baradine had also been cut helicopters and five fixed wing not burning in trees. Ground Greg Mullins later praised the with around 20 power poles in aircraft were waterbombing crews reported a lot of lightning retained firefighters for their the area destroyed by the fire. in the area but the fire was efforts. the area. On the ground seven The local hospital was running declared contained by the late tankers, eight strikers and one on generators. evening. “Managers of the Observatory pumper were in attendance watched in awe and admiration from NSW RFS, NPWS Firefighters continued 13 January 2013 from Canberra by video link as and FRNSW. A total of 50 aggressive firefighting efforts these firefighters fought to save firefighters were on scene. throughout the night yet the With Catatstrophic conditions several key buildings,” he said, fire to expand quickly. forecast for Coonabarabran “They faced extreme danger at Reports from social media and Extreme weather considerable personal risk.” bring home just how hot and 14 January 2013 conditions forecast for the fast the fire is moving: Astronomers were able district, firefighters remained Before the sun has even to remotely check on the “The in-laws have just been alert throughout the day. come up, crews were already telescopes and equipment evacuated from property There was a concerted aerial reporting that many properties reporting on social media. eight kilometres from waterbombing effort and have been lost overnight. The Coonabarabran,” said one ground crews worked on “Siding Spring Observatory fire was still running with a building containment lines. instruments registered a comment on Facebook, south to south-westerly wind temperature of 120 degrees “Mother-in-law says wind behind it. Guesses were that Aircraft reported that lightning this afternoon,” they wrote, was horrific, trees over the 32,000ha has burnt and five to activity throughout the area had “We have visual confirmation road, police had to cut with 14 houses have been lost. It ignited further fires. A feature that five of the 12 Siding chainsaws to get escorts out. was still unclear just how much of the fire was the massive Spring Observatory telescopes Thick smoke, embers. She of Siding Spring Observatory smoke plume, a pyrocumulos are intact. We know of one says that they will be surprised had been damaged. Power cloud, that was building in telescope that is standing but if they have a home when lines were down along Timor intensity throughout the day. we cannot communicate with it.” they return!” and Barradine Roads. One local resident reported on social media: “Plume looks like Ferocious whipped cream and sky above it is stratus cloud - plume up Wambelong fire that high.” The plume itself Wambelong Fire impacted on the fire’s behavior Area: 55,210 ha In mid-January 2013 a bush fire swept through the Warrumbungles creating unexpected wind Perimeter: 405 km changes and ember movement. National Park to the west of Coonabarabran, threatening ’s largest (See page 11 for more detail.) optical observatory and destroying neighbouring farm land and properties. Observatory survives It was the State’s most destructive bush fire in a decade with more than An Evacuation Alert was given to the Siding Spring 55,000ha burnt, including 95 percent of the Warrumbungles National Park AY HW Observatory in the early IG Y H and 53 homes. The smoke plume above the fire rose up 14kms – a plume LE afternoon with the NSW Police ngle OX Warrumbu ark so large is created its own weather conditions adding to the complexity of Force escorting staff at the National P Observatory as well residents the fire. (see page 9 for more details) in the area to the Evacuation Coonabarabran Centres. An Emergency Siding Spring The potent mix of hot temperatures, strong and shifting winds of up to Belougery Observatory Warning was later issued in the Split Rock 100kph, and bone dry undergrowth combined to make conditions very afternoon of Sunday 13 January for all people in the Siding difficult for firefighters.At the time, Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons Spring area. said firefighters had been “absolutely flogged in the most atrocious of Evacuation Centres were Needle conditions” near Coonabarabran. established at Coonabarabran Mountain ABOVE: NSW RFS Pilot Alex King Y Bowling Club and the Baradine A W H took this photo on a reconnaissance G Most of the property loss occurred on the evening of Sunday 13 January Tattersall’s Hotel. I H flight over the Siding Spring L L E Late in the afternoon, the fire W Observatory late January 13 2013. but the Wambelong fire was active from 12 January to 21 February 2013. E impacted on the Timor Road N 0 1 2 4 6 8 10 W HIGH A area and the Siding Spring ELL Y Kilometers NEW Observatory. Outbuildings

8 BUSH FIREbulletin // JANUARY FIRES BUSH FIREbulletin // JANUARY FIRES 9 RIGHT AND FAR RIGHT: Firefighters working on the Baradine Rd about 8kms out of Coonabarabran. Photos by Alex Chesser Fire cloud

The smoke plume about the Wambelong fire rose 14kms into the atmosphere. Here the NSW RFS weather experts explain the phenomenon of the pyroCb cloud formation.

After sunup, a NSW RFS By Simon Louis (RFS Meteorologist) and Laurence McCoy (Senior Fire Behaviour Analyst) aviation crew flew over the Observatory and were able to assess the impact of the fire, confirming that the main telescopes had all escaped The above photo was taken generally unpredictable fire damage. by a commercial air pilot and behaviour. There have also displays an example of pyroCb been recorded events where Throughout the day, further - a pyrocumulonimbus cloud pyroCb has produced some rain reports rolled in of houses from the Wambelong fire in at the fireground. This can have lost and livestock and January 2013. the opposite effect and reduce property damaged. Around fire behaviour. 80 firefighters were working PyroCb formation is an on containment lines but the extremely dangerous situation Recent examples of events public have been warned that for firefighting. An interesting where pyroCb has been the fire was still uncontained feature of this picture is that observed include the and it is still not safe to return a containment line in the area engulfed in fire. I’m sure the Group Captain Fenwick lost his the fire at ground level appears Warrumbungles’ Wambelong to their homes. north of the Baradine Road. On vehicle caught fire at some own home in the fires. to be driven by southerly winds Fire, the Kilmore East Fire the eastern side, air attack is point because it sure won’t “It is a really dangerous and while the smoke column and (Black Saturday) and the operating between Timor and start today.” 15 January - 24 January 2013 pyroCb are being pushed in Canberra Fires of 2003. These hostile environment now,” Baradine Road. Commissioner Fitzsimmons Mr Fenwick said he had fought In the early hours of Tuesday a different direction by upper are some of the most intense told the Seven Network. up to 40 fires in his time as a 15 January the radio and westerly winds. bush fires in recent history, Overrun volunteer but nothing rivalled TV Communications tower exhibiting fire behaviour beyond The fire was moving north- Traditionally fire planners At the peak of the fire, what he had witnessed at the at Needle Mountain came the capability of traditional fire west and west through private Wambelong fire. “There’s no concentrated on fire behaviour Coonabarabran farmer and under threat. Aerial attack behaviour models to predict. property and throughout way firefighters are trained to and weather on the ground, Warrumbungles Group Captain was increased to successfully the day the focus was on fight fires like that,” he told however, as a result of more Bob Fenwick and his crew protect the tower. protection of firefighters the newspaper. “The speed recent severe bush fire events were caught in an overrun and assets on the north and ferocity of it was just Milder weather conditions there has been an increasing inside their truck. and western side of the fire frightening. The wind was just throughout Tuesday, however, interest in the effect of including Bugaldie Village and “I just don’t know how we got unbelievable. It was moving meant the fire was burning at atmospheric conditions above Plume looks like rural properties on Baradine Rd. out of it,” he told The Australian along the ridge line as fast as a lower intensity. Firefighters, ground level. Firefighters were constructing newspaper, “We were just you could drive.” with the assistance of aircraft, whipped cream and Pyrocumulus clouds form when the additional heat sky above it is were still busy protecting was considerable damage generated by the fire causes properties on the southern to telecommunications a column of air to rise up into stratus cloud. Plume and western flanks of the fire. infrastructure throughout the atmosphere. As the air Crews were also working on the fire. in the column cools, water up that high.” What is the Siding Spring Observatory? a flare up in grass lands on By Wednesday 16 January vapour condenses to form 1755hrs, 13/1/13, Report from the south western side of residents were given limited cloud. When the atmosphere is the fire. This kind of activity social media access to damaged properties unstable enough and the fire on Siding Spring Observatory is and is managed by the continued for several days with under Police supervision. the ground is intense enough, one of the world’s premier Australian National University’s firefighters responding quickly these clouds can develop into astronomy and astrophysics research school of astronomy to flare ups. On the weekend light rain fell thunderstorms and become facilities. and astrophysics and regularly on the fireground, however Over the coming days, there known as pyrocumulonimbus visited by Nobel Laureate crews kept a watching brief to The Australian National was potential for properties clouds or pyroCb . Brian Schmidt. ensure the fire did not breach University’s Research School to come under threat in the containment lines. PyroCb formation is an of Astronomy and Astrophysics, While the flames came close to Wallumburrawang, Cennruiach extremely dangerous situation operates the 4m AAT and 1.2m the Observatory on Sunday 13 and Wandiallabah Creek areas. The fire was declared out UK Schmidt telescope at Siding January and severely impacted on 24 January after burning for firefighting as they can Given the potential threat, Springs. The AAT is one of the five of its buildings, including its 55,000ha, 53 homes, 131 other cause strong and unpredictable patients from Baradine Hospital world’s top telescopes and a visitors’ lodgings, 10 valuable buildings, 847 head of sheep, winds, intense spotting, new were relocated to external key instrument in exploring telescopes run by Australian, 318 head of cattle and 1,697km fires from lightning strikes and health facilities in surrounding the Milky Way galaxy and Polish, British, Korean and of fencing. Magellanic Clouds. US researchers all escaped towns. The , destruction. as well as some local roads, The Siding Spring Observatory were closed for extended is a working research facility periods during the fire. There

Photo by Alex King

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