NSW: NSW bushfire breaks contaiment lines, highway closed

AAP General News (Australia)
12-16-2006
NSW: NSW bushfire breaks contaiment lines, highway closed

A bushfire in central New South Wales has regained strength and broken containment
lines .. forcing the closure of the Newell Highway between Coonabarabran and Narrabri.

Authorities say traffic's being diverted from the 118 kilometre stretch via Gunnedah.

The Goldmine Road fire .. 45 kilometres south-west of Narrabri .. became active again
yesterday with winds pushing flames toward the major north-south highway.

MEEKA BAILEY from the Rural Fire Service says the section's expected to be closed for
most of today.

Ms BAILEY says property isn't under threat but about 80 firefighters .. from New South
Wales and Queensland .. are working with waterbombing aircraft to construct containment
lines.

The Goldmine Road bushfire and six other contained blazes have been burning for weeks
around Coonabarabran and Narrabri .. blackening more than 130 thousand hectares.

Meanwhile .. in state's south .. mild conditions have given the township of Tumut ..

near the New South Wales Snowy Mountains .. a reprieve from a nearby bushfire.

Firefighters have been working to strengthen containment lines around a pine plantation
fire nearby.

More than 10 thousand hectares of bush and pine plantation have been razed by the fire
burning close to the Goobragandra Valley .. about 10 kilometres from Tumut.

While the fire's still burning .. it remains under control .. with about 270 firefighters
working on containment lines.

There is no threat to property from the fire.

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KEYWORD: BUSHFIRES NSW (SYDNEY)

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