Homes lost as devastating fires tear through parts of NSW

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Many NSW Mid-North Coast and Central Coast residents have been made to evacuate as bushfires continue to burn. More than a dozen homes have been lost despite fire crews doing all  they can to contain the blaze.

Transcript

00:00Twisted metal and scorched black earth.

00:06This is what remains of Sarah and Craig Saxon Gill's home.

00:10A lifetime of memories reduced to rubble in just moments.

00:14Yeah, staggering.

00:16It's horrible.

00:18The pair stayed for as long as they could to defend their Kuliwong property,

00:23but when their water supply cut out, they were forced to leave.

00:26So I stayed back to stuff the rags in the gutters and turn on the sprinkler on the roof,

00:31and when I turned it on there was no water pressure.

00:33It's a similar story across the waterfront suburb.

00:36Sixteen homes were destroyed on Saturday, another nine damaged.

00:40Mark Quinlan lost everything in the house he built by hand 26 years ago.

00:45I stood on Brisbane Water Drive and just watched it slowly catch on fire and then collapse.

00:53Today, crews were back out on the ground and in the air,

00:57trying to contain the blaze as a southerly change swept through.

01:01At the peak of the fire we had over 250 firefighters,

01:05more than 50 fire trucks and nine aircraft attacking that fire.

01:10A natural disaster emergency has been declared for six areas across the state,

01:15allowing those affected to apply for assistance.

01:18Some homes were also lost in Bulladila on the mid north coast.

01:23This is a devastating loss of property.

01:26It's horrible for the people that have gone through it, but no lives have been lost.

01:30Some residents were given no more than 15 minutes to pick up their things and get out.

01:35One man didn't even have time to grab his mobile phone.

01:39Many residents are now staying in evacuation centres, unsure when they'll be able to return home.

01:46In Redhead near Newcastle, residents were warned to stay alert as a fire encroached this afternoon.

01:53Talking to neighbours, they've got their bags packed and things like that,

01:56like a little bag packed, ready if anything changes.

01:59While weary crews were treated to free toasties and coffee,

02:03a small act of kindness when faced with so much.

02:07They're the ones saving our community and making sure that we're here tomorrow,

02:10so it's the least we can do.

02:11A reminder of what's at stake with Christmas so close.

02:15Cheers.

02:19Cheers at all.

02:25Beautiful.

02:28Hello.

02:33A dear to my doctor.

02:35That's my wonderful birthday graduation.

02:36Yeah.

02:37That's my dear.

02:40I love you, I love you.

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