Residents of the Bellinger Valley continue to watch and wait as the Andersons Creek fire pulses in the upper reaches of Darkwood.
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Yesterday (Saturday) the fire had crossed the Horseshoe Rd to the south and spotted onto the escarpment in the vicinity of Langtons Rd at Deer Vale.
Overnight it grew slightly in all directions but a line scan from 6am this morning did not show any significant runs in the previous 24 hours.
A separate ignition point continues to burn in bushland close to Darkwood. Overnight it moved north towards Bishops Creek but no properties are under threat at this time. There is one RFS truck patrolling the area today (Sunday).
Many of those living beyond Thora have already left, including quite a number on Friday night when the fire reportedly took a run across one of the ridges, spreading with incredible speed.
RFS District Co-ordinator Rachael Eggins said 20 RFS staff plus three NPWS crews were about to start a backburn from Blackwood Rd to try and get some depth of protection on the eastern side of the fire before conditions deteriorate on Tuesday.
She said that heavy plant continued to work on trails prepping them as potential containment lines.
"We really need people to be aware of the situation - we are monitoring everything very closely but access is difficult in this terrain," Rachel said.
Weather:
The weather forecast for today is for a partly cloudy day with a slight (20%) chance along the coast. Most areas continue to be covered in smoke haze. Winds will be light becoming easterly 20 to 30 km/h in the early afternoon. Daytime maximum temperatures between 25 and 30.
All eyes are watching the forecast for Tuesday, which at this stage looks grim with temperatures in the mid to high 30s with northwest to northeasterly winds, 15 to 20 km/h, tending east to northeasterly 20 to 30 km/h during the day then tending north to northeasterly 15 to 20 km/h during the evening. There is a chance of a thunderstorm in the afternoon and evening.
Advice:
Residents continue to be advised that leaving early is the safest option, especially with so many narrow roads in the region, which could easily become congested when fire trucks move in.
Monitor conditions and don't rely on Fires Near Me app and technology as your only sources of information - ABC Radio continues to give regular fire updates.
And please be aware that conditions can change quickly - make sure you have a plan and know when you will leave and where you will go ... and have a Plan B in case things change.