THE 1994 SYDNEY FIRES

The fires that surrounded Sydney, Australia in January 1994 will never be forgotten by anyone who lived in Sydney through those terrible few days when they were at their worst. It was as if life stopped for that Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday as people were glued to their radios and TVs or were driven from their homes by the raging flames and firestorms.

Bushfires had been burning up and down the New South Wales coast since the beginning of the year and hundreds of volunteer firefighters and volunteer State Emergency Service personnel had been waging a battle against the flames day and night.

In early January 1994 the weather had been hot and dry in Sydney, there had been reports of bushfires up and down the coast particularly on the north coast and near the Central Coast.

On Thursday 6 January 1994 fires flared up on the outskirts of Sydney and the Lane Cove National Park in Sydney's northern suburbs. Thousands of homes were threatened and some were lost. By Friday fires ringed Sydney to the north, south and west. The sea is to the east. The heat and the hot winds were perfect for the flames.

By Friday night highways out of the city were cut off by flames particularly to the north and west. Thousands of communters who lived on the Central Coast and worked in Sydney could not get home to their families as even the trains were unable to run because of the fires. Some were able to find refuge with relatives and friends, but large numbers slept out in the open on the freeway because they could drive no further. The Salvation Army and the Red Cross provided them with food and other necessities.

People were unable to find out what was happening to their relatives and children at home or even if they still had a home. They were not able to get home until later on Sunday when the roads were reopened.

All police officers, ambulance officers and firefighters had their leave cancelled and were called back to duty, the army was mobilised. Firefighters from all around Australia drove day and night in their fire engines to relieve the exhausted men and women in New South Wales and particularly Sydney. Many others were flown in from the all around the country.

On Saturday it was even worse and there was no change in the hot dry weather and winds, new fires sprung up everywhere, many unfortunately lit by human hands. Radio stations stopped normal programming to report what was happening and pass on messages from the authorities, TV stations frequently interrupted their programs to do the same. Everywhere people stopped their normal activities to listen, and to see if they would be danger or their relatives and friends. They saw house after house consumed by the flames and people running for their lives leaving everything behind. Others stood on their roofs watering their homes with garden houses.

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