Australia fires live: Canberra airport closed, reports of air tanker crash in NSW bushfires – latest updates
ACT residents near bushfire south of Canberra told to seek shelter as contact lost with large water-bombing plane fighting New South Wales bushfire. Follow latest news and live updates
We’ve just heard from ACT emergency services agency commissioner Georgeina Whelan, who held a press conference in Canberra.
She said the Beard fire – the product of two fires that have merged in the area near the ACT-NSW border – is still burning out of control and is 425 hectares in size.But there’s some positive news.
Oh c’mon! More fires today, creeping ever closer to #Canberra #Pialligo #Queanbeyan area be vigilant. This is scary stuff. #canberrafire #bushfires #ClimateEmergency #smoke @ACT_ESA @NSWRFS pic.twitter.com/F2krlE9mcA
RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons has confirmed that all three people who died in the downed C-130 this afternoon were American residents.
Fitzsimmons said their deaths will impact fire fighters world-wide.