Fast-running fire rips through farmland near Temora

FIREFIGHTERS have been praised for their swift and determined response after a fast-moving grass fire tore through more than 2,000 hectares of farmland and threatened properties southwest of Temora on Friday.

The blaze broke out about 2pm on a property at Mimosa, roughly 18 kilometres from Temora, burning under high fire danger conditions in a paddock south of Ingalba Nature Reserve and north of Mimosa Station Road.

View of the fire from Temora at 2.45pm | Photo: Supplied

Fierce westerly winds quickly turned the fire into a fast-moving emergency, pushing flames eastward and prompting the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) to issue a Watch and Act alert by 3pm.

Within 20 minutes, the fire had jumped Coolamon Road and was driving toward Goldfields Way in the Sebastopol area, triggering road closures in both directions between Temora and Erin Vale as the fast-approaching front threatened nearby properties.

View of the fire about 3.30pm | Photo: Supplied

A fleet of more than 30 RFS trucks mobilised from across the region, including Junee, Wagga, Coolamon and the South West Slopes zone.

Fire and Rescue NSW also provided a strike team to assist RFS crews on Coolamon Road, made up of units from Temora, Cootamundra, Wagga, Narrandera and Leeton.

Photo: NSW RFS

Fire and Rescue strike team stationed on Coolamon Road | Photo: Temora Station 456

From above, the RFS’ large air tanker based at RAAF Richmond launched multiple drops over the fireground, significantly slowing the blaze and allowing ground crews to gain the upper hand.

Two private fixed-wing bombers and a helicopter also assisted.

The reinforced aerial attack proved crucial in stopping the fire from crossing Goldfields Way, which served as a key containment line as the front surged closer through grassland and cropping paddocks.

Photo: NSW RFS

A towering smoke plume was visible from more than 50 kilometres away as the fire chewed through more than 2000 hectares of farmland.

By 5:41pm, conditions had eased enough for the incident to be downgraded to Advice level, with firefighters continuing to strengthen containment lines into the evening. Goldfields Way reopened to traffic about 6pm.

Smoke from the fire as seen by a remote NSW RFS camera stationed at Tubbul, more than 50km away | Photo: NSW RFS

Photo: NSW RFS

Temora’s Fire and Rescue NSW Station 456 commended the enormous effort by RFS volunteers, private units and aerial crews.

“What was evident when we arrived was that multiple RFS crews, private units and aerial support had got through a pile of work to pull this fire up,” Station 456 said.

“An amazing job carried out by the RFS crews, under some very testing conditions. The fire covers some 2000-plus hectares, but could have been much bigger without their efforts.”

Fire and Rescue NSW assisting RFS crews on the fireground | Photo: Turvey Park Fire and Rescue Station 472

Fire and Rescue NSW assisting RFS crews on the fireground | Photo: Turvey Park Fire and Rescue Station 472

During the height of the emergency, property owners were urged to make final preparations and seek shelter in a solid structure if the fire impacted.

Crews continued to patrol the fireground over the weekend, monitoring hotspots and advising locals that smouldering pockets of bushland may remain visible within containment lines for several weeks.