JUST one week after Medowie Rural Fire Service held its ‘Get Ready Weekend’, a hazard reduction burn escaped its intended containment area and spread close to homes on Medowie Road and the nearby Catherine McAuley Catholic College.
At 8am on Saturday, 19 September, Medowie Rural Fire Brigade, supported by crews from Fingal Bay and Anna Bay, attended an approved hazard reduction on Abundance Road.
The planned burn, intended to reduce future bushfire risk, instead developed into an active fire front moving south‑east toward Medowie Road.
Residents nearby were advised to expect smoke, with anyone with a respiratory condition urged to remain indoors.
Winds across Port Stephens averaged between 3–5 knots, but intermittent gusts reaching 28 knots created unstable conditions and pushed the fire into new areas.
Firefighters conducted backburning behind Catherine McAuley Catholic College, preventing the blaze from reaching school grounds.
A truck was positioned on the opposite side of Medowie Road as a precaution in case the fire spread towards Pacific Dunes.
By 9.30pm, a local firefighter told News Of The Area the fire was “definitely not under control”.
At 11pm, the blaze remained at Advice level, having burned approximately 51 ha.
Rural Fire Service’s Bush Fire Information Line confirmed that crews were still working on the fire and expected to remain on scene for several more hours.
This fire comes less than a month into spring, foreshadowing the serious threats of the future bush fire season.
Local residents have again been advised to prepare their homes and create an emergency plan in case of future threats.
BY Ruby van de WIJGAART
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