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Canberra Today 15°/17° | Friday, April 19, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Ember attack fears for southern suburbs

Visible flames from William Hovell Drive at 9pm last night (January 30). The Stromlo Valley suburbs in the foreground were built pine forests lost in the 2003 fire. Photo: Andrew Campbell

THE flames visible from Canberra’s south are due to fire spotting about eight kilometres away from suburbs that Emergency Controller Georgeina Whelan fears may come under ember attack by Saturday afternoon. 

The Bureau of Meteorology has predicted increasingly challenging fire weather for the coming weekend, driven by extremely high temperatures and low humidity.

The spotting is ahead of the north-eastern edge of the main front of the Orroral Valley Fire, which has grown to 18,507 hectares.

Firefighters are on to this and the ESA says there is currently no threat to homes.

Meanwhile, the fire remains at “advice” level despite access to the fire front for direct firefighting operations being restricted due to inaccessible terrain.

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