Updated 8pm, Tuesday January 28: Firefighters “will not” have a large bushfire that is burning south of Hobart extinguished tonight, the controller managing the incident says.
Andrew McConnon from the Tasmania Fire Service said they were alerted to reports of a fire in the Snug Tiers area around 3pm on Tuesday.
Just prior to 7pm, he said the blaze had burnt through 62 hectares and was “completely uncontained and not in control”.
“This fire will not go out tonight,” he told Local Radio.
“It will burn for several days. We’re still very much in the intelligence gathering and assessment stage of how to contain it and what may or may not get burnt in coming days.”
Updated 4:45pm, Tuesday January 28: The warning for the Snug Tiers fire near Margate has now been updated to a Watch and Act.
The bushfire is expected to impact Snug Falls Road, Snug Tiers Road and surrounds, with multiple aircraft now attacking the blaze.
The TFS says embers and ash are falling on Snug Falls and Snug Tiers roads and may threaten homes before the main fire arrives.
The TFS say under the current conditions, the fire is expected to be difficult to control.
Earlier: Several water bombing aircraft have rushed to the Kingborough area south of Hobart this afternoon after two separate bushfires broke out.
A bushfire advice alert has been issued for Snug Tiers and surrounds, with Tasmania Fire Service crews currently on scene.
Four water bombing planes were seen above the area around 3:30pm on Tuesday.
The fire service says the fire does not pose an immediate threat at this time, however conditions are expected to be changeable.
Authorities are advising people in the immediate area to check their bushfire plans and be prepared to leave if conditions worsen.
“Well prepared homes are expected to be defendable in these conditions,” a spokesperson said.
“Monitor conditions and if they get more dangerous, and you are not well prepared, plan to go to a safer place.”
A separate bushfire is also burning on Blue Gate Road in Margate, with no current alert level.
It follows a long weekend of temperatures above 30 degrees for much of the south and the expiry of a total fire ban which was put in place for Monday.
