Bushfire Smoke Impacts NSW, Air Quality Concerns Rise

Smoke from two ongoing bushfires has impacted millions of residents across New South Wales (NSW), leading to reports of poor air quality in several regions. The NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) confirmed that smoke drifted across the Hunter Valley, Newcastle, the Central Coast, and Sydney overnight.

The RFS anticipates that the smoke will gradually clear throughout the morning, advising the public to contact Triple Zero (000) only for unattended fires.

Fire Status Update

Medowie Fire (Port Stephens)

• Location: Between Medowie and Oyster Cove, approximately 25 kilometers northeast of Newcastle.
• Size: 432 hectares.
• Status: Contained.

Firefighting crews worked to establish and strengthen containment lines on the northwestern edge of the fire, east of Moffats Swamp Nature Reserve. Residents in the area are advised to monitor conditions for potential changes.

Nerong Fire (NSW Mid Coast)

• Size: 916 hectares.
• Status: Not under control.

Crews from the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service are actively working to extinguish this blaze.

Air Quality Report

The NSW government's air quality monitoring service has reported varying conditions across the state:

• Poor Air Quality: Recorded in the east of Sydney, Central Coast, and Lake Macquarie regions.
• Fair Air Quality: Reported in central west Sydney, south-west Sydney, Illawarra, Lower Hunter, Upper Hunter, and Riverina-Murray regions.