Australian fires approach former bomb range

Australian emergency crews were battling Thursday to keep an out-of-control wildfire from spreading to a former weapons range littered with unexploded bombs.

The 5,840-hectare (14,430-acre) Deans Gap blaze south of Sydney was burning two kilometres (1.24 miles) from the Tianjara plateau which was used by the Australian Army as a practice bombing range until the mid-1970s.

Fire officials told AFP the fact that the “challenging site” was in the blaze's path was playing into their “firefighting strategy at the moment but at this stage there's no major concerns”.

“The good news is that range hasn't been used since the 1970s and there is no fire in that area at this stage,” a New South Wales Rural Fire Service spokeswoman told AFP.

“If it was required they'd be looking to put in a firebreak in that area.” She added that “they have actually got time to ensure that, were the wind to change and it head in that direction, that there was a break and it didn't actually impact”.

AFP