Heavy rainfall in New South Wales has helped to extinguish more than 30 fires in just three days.
The NSW Rural Fire Service tweeted on Monday, “This is the most positive news we’ve had in some time. The recent rainfall has assisted firefighters to put over 30 fires out since Friday. Some of these blazes have been burning for weeks and even months.”
This is the most positive news we've had in some time.
The recent rainfall has assisted firefighters to put over 30 fires out since Friday. Some of these blazes have been burning for weeks and even months.#NSWRFS #NSWFires pic.twitter.com/fNyuSE6nAx
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) February 10, 2020
According to the NSW RFS, the rainfall has significantly assisted in reducing the fire activity across the state, with those extinguished equating to a total of 1.5 million hectares of land burnt.
The Bureau of Meteorology, who in December warned that there would be no significant rainfall until May, said the region has seen more than 391 millimetres of rainfall over the past four days.
Warragamba Dam, which supplies 80% of Sydney’s water, rose from 42% to 70% capacity, recording its best flows in years.
Woronora Dam rose from 26.6% last week to 60.9% capacity. Fitzroy Falls Reservoir rose from 27.8% to 86%, and the Blue Mountains Dams rose from 34.1% to 94%.
WaterNSW spokesman Tony Webber said, “Even our optimistic hopes have been exceeded.”
“We’re delighted to see more water in the dam storage, this represents the best in-flow we’ve had in three years,” he said.
