Just to keep you up-to-date, this is an edited article from this mornings on-line news abot the fires.

Allan



Fire chief banks on southerly change
December 9 2002
By Brigid Delaney, Stephanie Peatling,
Sydney





After dire predictions that New South Wales would "burn until there's nothing left", a cautious state Fire Commissioner Phil Koperberg yesterday predicted the worst would soon be over.

"These particular fires are approaching an end," he said. "It's 36 hours away."

Last night, Mr Koperberg confirmed that at least one building had been destroyed and another had been badly damaged at Medlow Bath, in the Blue Mountains, yesterday.

Last night the Rural Fire Service revised the number of homes lost in the bushfire crisis to 48.

A spokesman said the figure included homes destroyed since last Tuesday.

One person has died in the fires that have ringed Sydney for days.

The weather bureau predicts a southerly wind will move through Sydney this morning, bringing low temperatures and higher humidity.

The bureau is confident of showers across all the areas affected by fires, some time before tomorrow.

This is the best news we have had for weeks," a relieved Commissioner Koperberg said.

"All of that is predicated on the forecast being right. If we get up tomorrow and it's warm and sunny all bets are off."

More than 4500 firefighters were on the ground yesterday, battling 70 fires around the state.

But the weather was a foe, not a friend, yesterday afternoon.

Strong winds up to 50 kmh caused havoc in the Blue Mountains, while a wind change in the Shoalhaven increased the strength of the long-running Touga fire.

The fire was well away from homes but it kept consuming bushland, with 100,000 hectares devastated so far.



More firefighters arrived from the Country Fire Authority in Victoria to help their NSW colleagues, tiring after a five-day battle. A contingent of South Australia firefighters will arrive in Sydney tomorrow.

Yesterday, there were 94 aircraft dousing flames, including two helitankers