The Paddington Lane fire, in inaccessible bushland west of Kangaroo Valley, has been extinguished.
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Shoalhaven RFS District Officer Marc Donnelly said the fire, which burnt out about a quarter of an acre of bush, was fully extinguished by mid afternoon on Tuesday.
Fourteen personnel from Kangaroo Valley, the Illawarra and Southern Highlands, including more RART members, were back on the fireground near Paddington Lane, off Moss Vale Road, west of the village, at 8am Tuesday morning to continue the mopping up operations.
As storm activity continues around the area Mr Donnelly urged the community to remain vigilant.
Anyone who sees an unattended fire should contact triple-0 immediately.
Alternately there is a number of smartphone applications including Fires Near Me, which is available on Android and Apple devices, which will inform you where the fires are and if they have been reported.
People are again reminded to be vigilant, discuss and have a bushfire survival plan or know what they are going to do if threatened.
Update: 11.35am Fire crews continue to mop up Kangaroo Valley blaze
Rural Fire Service personnel continue to work on mopping up a fire caused by a lightning strike west of Kangaroo Valley.
The strike, from storms that rolled across the region on Sunday evening, caused a fire in an area of inaccessible bushland near Paddington Lane, off Moss Vale Road on Monday morning.
Hit the image to see the Kangaroo Valley RFS Footage.
A crew of four local arduous and Rapid Aerial Response Team [RART] qualified members walked into the remote location, finding about a quarter of an acre of bushland on fire.
Due to the lack of water available in the area, personnel used hand tools and portable backpack blowers to extinguish the blaze.
Fourteen personnel from the Kangaroo Valley RFS, with assistance from firefighters from the Illawarra and Southern Highlands, including more RART members, were back on the fireground at 8am Tuesday to continue the mopping up operations.
Shoalhaven RFS District Officer Marc Donnelly said the fire was monitored and patrolled on Monday evening and did not pose any significant threat.
Hit the image to see the Kangaroo Valley RFS Footage.
“The crews are back on the fireground tidying up the fire,” he said.
“It is a major job getting around the whole fire area due to the remote and undulating nature of the terrain.
“The fire is contained and we are confident by this evening the fire should all be out.”
Crews are again using hand tools to extinguish the fire, however long line fire hoses were also being taken into the area.
“Fire trucks can only get to within about 300 metres of the fire ground,” he said.
“While that is not that far in the scheme of things access to the area is difficult, with quite steep and undulating terrain.”
On Monday, personnel reverted to using hand tools and portable backpack blowers to extinguish the blaze, with the blowers used to push the fire back onto itself.
Mr Donnelly said the RART helicopter and crew from Bankstown which helped at Paddington Lane and another fire west of Cambewarra, also caused by lightning, on Monday had returned to its base.
“There is no need for aerial response at this stage,” he said.
Update: 4.15pm Firefighters use hand tools and portable devices to battle Barrengarry fire
Firefighters have used handheld and portable tools to battle a fire in a remote location on Barrengarry Mountain on Monday.
Around 11.30am crews from the Kangaroo Valley RFS were called to are area near Paddington Lane, off Moss Vale Road, a couple of kilometres west of the village after reports of smoke in the area.
A section of inaccessible bushland was on fire, burning towards Barrengarry Mountain.
As RFS NSW activated their Rapid Aerial Response Team [RART] team from Bankstown, a crew of four including arduous and RART qualified members, walked into the remote location, finding about a quarter of an acre of bushland on fire.
Due to the lack of water available in the area, personnel used hand tools and portable backpack blowers to extinguish the blaze.
The backpack blowers were used to push the fire back onto itself.
Crews have fought the blaze for most of the afternoon and late Monday it was reported to be contained, however Shoalhaven RFS has requested the RART helicopter remain in the area to assist with water bombing to assist the ground crews
This fire and another, also in remote bushland west of Cambewarra, where the RART personnel were winched into to extinguish were the result of lightning strikes, which the Shoalhaven suffered numerous on Sunday evening as a wild electrical storm lit up the local area.
It is anticipated there could be other flare ups in coming days as the wind and temperatures again rise.
Anyone who sees an unattended fire should contact triple-0 immediately.
Alternately there is a number of smartphone applications including Fires Near Me, which is available on Android and Apple devices, which will inform you where the fires are and if they have been reported.
People are again reminded to be vigilant, discuss and have a bushfire survival plan or know what they are going to do if threatened.
James Morris from NSW RFS said the area was far from the end of the current fire season.
“Now is the time to prepare your property and discuss what you’ll do if a fire threatens,” Mr Morris said.
Update: 2.10pm Lightning strikes cause of Shoalhaven blazes
Lightning strikes are believed to be the cause of fires burning in remote bushland west of Kangaroo Valley and in inaccessible country west of Cambewarra.
A lightning strike which split a tree in half was the cause of the fire off Tannery Road on the eastern side of Cambewarra Mountain.
Four personnel from the RFS Rapid Aerial Response Team from Bankstown have been winched into the thick bushland between Tannery and Carrington roads.
Shoalhaven RFS Inspector Chris Palmer said the area was inaccessible for vehicles or ground crews.
“Due to its location it was decided to winch the teams in and let them extinguish the tree which was on fire,” he said.
“It takes about 10 minutes to winch all the personnel into the area and the helicopter will then attach its bucket and drop some water into the location.”
Crews have just been called to another smoke sighting north west at Carters Road, off Bunkers Hill Road where it is believed lightning may have also struck two trees.
The Shoalhaven experienced a spectacular lightning show on Sunday evening as a storm, which produced little rain, rolled across the area following the 43 degree day.
Just before 11.30am Monday crews from Kangaroo Valley Rural Fire Service responded to reports of smoke in bushland west of township.
Two Kangaroo Valley crews investigated the reports, spotting smoke in the area around Paddington Lane, off Moss Vale Road, a couple of kilometres west of the village.
The fire was in inaccessible country burning towards Barrengarry Mountain.
While RFS NSW activated their RART team, a crew of four including arduous and RART qualified members walked into location, finding the fire.
Around a quarter of an acre of bushland was alight in country inaccessible for vehicles.
The crews started work on extinguishing the north western edge of the fire which was achieved.
Insp Palmer said the fire was slow burning, with low flame heights.
“The high humidity, which increased the fuel moisture content, actually kept the fire less active,” he said.
“The higher humidity did us a favour. Thankfully we didn't have something like this on Sunday.”
Insp Palmer said it is also believed the fire started due to a lightning strike.
Three units from Kangaroo Valley RFS and one from the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) have attended and worked on the Paddington Road fire.
Crews are working to contain the fire, however it is understood the fire has been brought under control and is expected to be fully contained and controlled by dark.
Earlier RFS crews from Broughton Vale and Cambewarra investigated the Cambewarra Mountain smoke sighting.
Update: 12.45pm – Rapid Aerial Response Team on its way to Barrengarry Mountain
A NSW Rural Fire Service Rapid Aerial Response Team (RART) has been deployed to Barrengarry Mountain after reports of a fire in inaccessible country.
Just before 11.30am crews from Kangaroo Valley Rural Fire Service responded to reports of smoke in bushland west of Kangaroo Valley.
Two Kangaroo Valley crews investigated the reports, spotting smoke in the area around Paddington Lane, off Moss Vale Road, a couple of kilometres west of the township.
Crews have confirmed there is a fire in inaccessible country, burning towards Barrengarry Mountain.
RFS has activated the RART crew from Bankstown and it is expected to arrive at Barrengarry Mountain at 1pm.
A control post has been established at Paddington Lane, with a crew of four going in on foot to investigate the source of the smoke.
Crews are also investigating further reports of smoke to the west of the initial outbreak, in the vicinity of Willowglen Road but it is believed to be from the same fire.
Meanwhile, crews from Cambewarra and Broughton Vale are also investigating another smoke sighting, this time on the eastern side of Cambewarra Mountain in the vicinity of Carrington Road.
Carrington Road is located east of the second hairpin bend from the top of Cambewarra Mountain.
12noon: RFS crews investigate smoke sighting west of Kangaroo Valley
TWO Kangaroo Valley Rural Fire Service crews are investigating reports of smoke in inaccessible bushland west of Kangaroo Valley.
Crews are responding to reports of smoke in the area around Paddington Lane, off Moss Vale Road, a couple of kilometres west of the township.
It is believed there is a fire in inaccessible country, with crews saying it is burning towards Barrengarry Mountain.
Two crews have arrived at the scene and have sighted smoke.
A control post has been established at the location and with a crew going in on foot to investigate the source of the smoke.
The Heavens Mountain Escape, self contained accommodation set on 160 acres, is located at the end of the lane.