Rains Bring Some Relief For Australian Firefighters; Nearly 100 Fires Still Burning In NSW, Victoria

[hatrack]

Up to 50mm of rain has fallen across parts of New South Wales and Victoria, dampening bushfires even as dozens more continue to burn. Fire-hit regions of NSW’s Snowy Valley and south coast, and Victoria’s East Gippsland and north-east, received as much as 15mm of desperately needed rain on Wednesday and Thursday, while severe thunderstorms caused flooding in Melbourne.

However, more than 80 fires in NSW and 18 in Victoria continued to burn on Thursday, and lightning started two new fires in Victoria’s Great Otway national park, on the state’s south coast.

The NSW Rural Fire Service and Victorian Country Fire Authority said the rain they had received was not enough to put out existing fires.

A spokesman for the CFA said they had seen rain activity but “unfortunately it had minimal impact in suppressing the fire activity across east and north-east Victoria”. “Although this rain won’t extinguish all fires, it will certainly go a long way towards containment,” the RFS said.

EDIT

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jan/16/rain-brings-joy-to-farmers-in-nsw-and-victoria-and-dampens-some-bushfires-as-others-burn

[Mickju]

1. This is great news.

But it is far from over.

[nitpicker]

2. Update from DW

https://www.dw.com/en/australia-bushfires-heavy-rains-provide-some-relief/a-52035739

Australia bushfires: Heavy rains provide some relief

Torrential downpours drenched much of bushfire-ravaged eastern Australia on Friday, providing a second day of much-needed relief to firefighters battling a months-long crisis.

"Rain has fallen across most firegrounds over the last 24 hours which is great news! Our fingers are crossed that this continues over the coming days," New South Wales Rural Fire Service said on Twitter.

The rain has helped, but 82 fires are still burning across the state and 30 are still not contained. Dozens of fires were burning in neighboring Victoria state.
(snip)

In some parts of eastern Australia, drought-hit communities received more rain in the last 24 hours than they did in all of December. Forecasts of more rain over the weekend in NSW, Queensland and Victoria state offered a further glimmer of hope.
(snip)

However, the deluge also raised the prospect of flooding as dry-caked soil and hills hit by a three-year drought fail to absorb water.
(snip)