Fire-fighters at the fire near the Glen Esk Rd, Conara Picture: Chris Kidd Source: The Mercury
TALES of heroism, heartbreak and miracle escapes are emerging from the destruction of bushfires ravaging Tasmania.
More than 100 properties have been destroyed, thousands of hectares of bush blackened as fires continue to burn around the state.
The Tasmania Fire Service was still battling major blazes on the Tasman Peninsula at Bicheno, and Lake Repulse last night, with about 20 other fires burning across the state.
Somehow, against the odds, there have been no confirmed reports of loss of life.
Lower temperatures yesterday allowed fire fighters to make inroads as they battled blazes - the worst of which was raging south of the devstated fishing town of Dunalley.
A eucalptus tree ignites near Dunalley, Tasmania. PIC:: Richard Jupe
Some were cut off by the speed with the fires spread and fought alone to save their homes.
Others were saved by neighbours or by the heroic efforts of fire crews or waterbombing aircraft turning up in the nick of time. Or luck.
There were tears and trauma, but overwhelmingly a sense of optimism and community and gratitude that things weren't worse.
Dozens of homes have been destroyed by bushfires in the Australian island state of Tasmania. Paul Chapman reports.
As a pall of smoke hung over the state yesterday, the Tasmania community rallied in to support those stricken - with appeals launched, donations flooding in to refugees and a rescue flotilla ferrying food in an people out of communities still cut off.
Tasmania Fire Service chief officer Mike Brown said Friday's high winds and 42-degree record temperatures matched conditions on the day of the state's 1967 bushfire disaster and it was very fortunate none had died.
''The conditions of yesterday were comparable with that terrible day and on that day we lost 2000 homes and 62 lives, so I think it speaks volumes for the really hard work that was done yesterday and our more advanced operational and warning systems that we are able to use,'' he said.
Thousands of people remain displaced, sheltering in refuges and or with family and friends, many not knowing if their homes had survived the fires.
Clouds from a nearby bushfire are seen over Mount Wellington during day one of the Hobart International at Domain Tennis Centre on January 4, 2013 in Hobart, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
A report of the possible death of one person at Dunalley yesterday has not been confirmed.
The bushfire that started at Forcett laid waste to town, destroying over 30 per cent of the town's buildings - including its school, its police station and its bakery.
Dunalley was a ghost town yesterday, with around 100 people who remained gathered at the local pub.
Twenty homes were destroyed at Murdunna, with about 40 per cent of the structures in Connellys Marsh also burnt down, along with homes in Copping, Boomer Bay, Dodges Ferry and Primrose Sands.
A major bushfire swept through Dunalley in Tasmania. Picture: Richard Jupe
At least 12 properties had also been destroyed by the bushfire near Bicheno, which yesterday was downgraded to an 'advice alert'.
The fire at lake Repulse in the Derwent Valley slowed down overnight and has been downgraded to a watch and act alert level.
Search teams were yesterday investigating the ruins of every destroyed and damaged home to ensure no one had died.
Until every property has been checked, people would not be allowed to return to their homes.
Smoke plume from a bushfire burning at Forcett in Tasmania. Photo: Twitter, @foodsideoflife
Yesterday afternoon fire affected areas on the Tasman Peninsula were declared a Serious Incident Site by police for public safety, security of evacuated homes and to preserve evidence.
The Forcett bushfire, which was affecting communities as far down the peninsula as Taranna yesterday afternoon, will continue to burn for many days.
''It will be days (before the fire can be controlled) because the fire is burning in many areas that are very difficult to get to, there's a lot of very heavy forest and heavy fuel,'' Chief Officer Brown said.
The Arthur Highway was still closed yesterday and while efforts were being made to reopen the only road to the Tasman Peninsula, police could not confirm when it might reopen.
A bushfire rages out of control near Copping, in southern Tasmania, as temperatures in the state top 40C. Picture: Killick David
Acting Commissioner Tilyard said Aurora and Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources workers had been working to remove power lines and trees from the Arthur Highway in an effort to allow the home to be reopened.
''We're hopeful of, if not opening the highway fully, at some point in the near future at least having some form of escorted access for people particularly coming off the Tasman peninsula during the day,'' he said.
Acting Commissioner Tilyard said he was confident most people sheltering at Nubeena who wanted to leave the peninsula would have been evacuated by boat by last night.
An estimated 2000 people sheltered at the community refuge centre at Nubeena amd 600 people at Port Arthur.
A worker tries to keep flames away from infrastructure at Repulse Dam. PIC: Sam Rosewarne
On Friday night and throughout yesterday tourist cruise boats, ferries and private vessels picked up people stranded at Nubeena and took them to Hobart.
A boat arrived at Dodges Ferry yesterday morning carrying 3000 meals, fuel, bottled water and ambulance and other health workers.
The team headed to Nubeena where they distributed supplies and aid to people around the area.
''There's a great sense of community out there, people are helping each other and coming together as happens in these circumstances,'' Acting Commissioner Tilyard said.
Acting Commissioner Tilyard could not confirm when residents in affected areas would be allowed to return to their homes to assess the damage.
He said power outages had occurred across the Tasman Peninsula. This was affecting communication between people in the area and their loved ones elsewhere.
''There are certainly many many residences and areas that do not have power and people with mobile phones some of them have found that their batteries would have run out and they have no capacity to (charge their phones),'' he said.
People unable to contact their loved ones can call a police hotline Acting Premier Bryan Green, who took a helicopter flight over burnt areas of the Tasman Peninsula yesterday afternoon, said it was a devastating sight.
''It's fair to say that (Friday) must have been a terrible experience for those people living on the Peninsula and surrounding areas,'' he said.
Mr Green said as uncontrolled bushfires were still burning, preserving life was still the authorities' main focus.
''People must put in place their fire plans,'' he said.
The fire at Bicheno is thought to have been started by a lighting strike and the fire at Lake Repulse was thought to have been started by a camp fire.
The cause of the Forcett fire is being investigated, but so far there is not evidence that it was deliberately lit.
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