NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has aired her concern over the likelihood fires that ripped through a large swathe of the Royal National Park were deliberately lit.
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Two fires broke out in the park on Saturday, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of visitors – by road and by boat.
The main fire, along Sir Bertram Stevens Drive, continued to burn on Tuesday afternoon, having already burnt through almost 2200 hectares.
Both fires are being treated as suspicious, amid reports multiple ignition points were found by NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) and NSW Police investigators.
Ms Berejiklian – who got an update on the fire situation during a visit to the Sutherland Fire Command Centre at Heathcote on Tuesday – said it was “absolutely terrible if that’s what is found to be the case”.
“To think that someone has deliberately started this beggars belief,” she said.
Ms Berejiklian, who also took the chance to thank fire crews, said it was “a miracle” no one was killed or injured.
“I am here to say thank you,” she said. “It was pretty hairy there for a few days.”
The smaller of the two fires was extinguished on Saturday, with firefighters managing to contain the main fire on Tuesday.
Light rain fell in the area on Monday night, with ground and air crews strengthening containment lines on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the RFS has revealed favourable winds averted a potential catastrophe as the fires raged on Saturday.
RFS group officer Kelly Browne, the incident operations officer when the fires broke out, said the situation could have been much worse had the winds changed.
“We were lucky that the winds were pushing the fire further into the park than into the townships,” Ms Browne said. “It was just very lucky they stayed that way.”
Craig Geddes, the incident controller on Tuesday, said 170 RFS and National Parks and Wildlife Service personnel remained in the field.
Mr Geddes said an audit of trees was done to ensure the safety of park visitors when the area reopened.
The park will remain closed on Wednesday.
– with Murray Trembath
Police appeal for information, footage
A NSW Police task force has been set up to investigate the weekend’s bushfires in the Royal National Park.
The two fires – at Flat Rock and along Sir Bertram Stevens Drive, east of Waterfall – started about 12.30pm on Saturday.
Investigators have appealed for anyone who witnessed anything suspicious in the park on that day, or has any dashcam or phone footage that may assist, to come forward.
Strike Force Padlock – comprising officers from Sutherland police, the State Crime Command’s Financial Crimes Squad and NSW Rural Fire Service investigators – has been established.
Sutherland police crime manager Detective Chief Inspector Terry O’Neill said police were looking for any bike riders who had footage.
Investigators also want to know of any vehicles that pulled to the eastern side of Sir Bertram Stevens Drive, between one and two kilometres south of the Bundeena Drive intersection.
“The fires are believed to have been deliberately lit so any information is vital,” he said.