Respite at last for exhausted firefighters: RFS say there are NO more active bushfires in New South Wales after Australia's horror summer of blazes killed 33

  • For the first time in 2020 there are no active bushfires burning in NSW
  • NSW RFS took to their social media on Monday to announce incredible news
  • The horror bushfire season saw a total of 33 people killed - 25 of then in NSW
  • It comes as analysts announced that summers are lengthening by a month

By Sahar Mourad For Daily Mail Australia

Published: | Updated:

Firefighters rejoiced on Monday after announcing that there were no active bushfires burning in New South Wales.

It is the first time since July last year that there have been no fires burning in the state. 

The NSW RFS took to their social media on Monday to announce incredible news after 240 days of fighting bushfires.

'For the first time since early July 2019, there are currently no active bush or grass fires in NSW,' they wrote. 

'That's more than 240 days of fire activity for the state.'

Fire crews undertake back burning near Railway Crescent, Belmont, Lake Macquarie, NSW, Thursday, August 22, 2019

Fire crews undertake back burning near Railway Crescent, Belmont, Lake Macquarie, NSW, Thursday, August 22, 2019

The NSW RFS took to Twitter to announce the incredible news that there are no more active bushfires

The NSW RFS took to Twitter to announce the incredible news that there are no more active bushfires 

During Australia's horror bushfire season at total of 33 people were killed, more than 2,000 of homes were destroyed and at least a billion animals perished. 

Blazes destroyed an area of land the size of South Korea over the summer months and firefighters were severely stretched. 

NSW was the worst affected state, where 25 people tragically lost their lives either trying to defend their homes or fighting the fires. 

Many volunteers were forced to quit their jobs to fight blazes and nine firefighters were killed. Three were from the US, while the others were Australian.

Firefighters Andrew O'Dwyer, 36, and Geoffrey Keaton, 32, died on December 19 after a tree fell on their truck while they were travelling through Buxton, south of Sydney. 

A volunteer firefighter, Samuel McPaul, 28, died when he was battling a blaze in Jingellic, in Green Valley, about 70km east of Albury on the border of NSW and Victoria, on December 30.

A 'fire tornado' caused his 10-tonne firetruck to roll before he was killed. 

The end to a hellish bushfire season comes as analysts revealed the shocking impact of climate change on Australian summers.

Researchers from the Australian Institute found that summers are lengthening by a month or more while winters are getting shorter. 

Australia is now experiencing an average of almost 31 more days of summer each year compared to the 1950s.

Sydney has extra 28 hot days a year while Melbourne has an extra 38 warmer days compared to the middle of the 20th century.

Rural Fire Service volunteers (RFS) and Fire and Rescue NSW officers (FRNSW) contain a small bushfire which closed the Princes Highway south of Ulladulla, Sunday, January 5, 2020

Rural Fire Service volunteers (RFS) and Fire and Rescue NSW officers (FRNSW) contain a small bushfire which closed the Princes Highway south of Ulladulla, Sunday, January 5, 2020

A southerly change is set to hit Sydney on Tuesday with rain expected all week

A southerly change is set to hit Sydney on Tuesday with rain expected all week  

In some regional areas ravaged by bushfires in recent months, such as the New South Wales town of Port Macquarie, residents are now experiencing seven more weeks of typical summer temperatures.

'Temperatures which were considered a regular three-month summer in the 1950s now span from early-to-mid-November all the way to mid-March,' Australia Institute climate and energy program director Richie Merzian said.

'Summers have grown longer even in recent years, with the last five years facing summers twice as long as their winters.'

Australia's capital, Canberra, lost 35 winter days while the city of Brisbane, in the country's east, lost 31 cooler days. 

Australian summers are lengthening by a month or more while winters are getting shorter due to climate change (pictured: Swimmers at Bondi Beach)

Australian summers are lengthening by a month or more while winters are getting shorter due to climate change (pictured: Swimmers at Bondi Beach) 

Rural Fire Service volunteers (RFS), National Parks and Wildlife Service staff and Queensland Rural Bushfire Brigade volunteers back burning at Burrill Lake south of Ulladulla, Sunday, January 5, 2020

Rural Fire Service volunteers (RFS), National Parks and Wildlife Service staff and Queensland Rural Bushfire Brigade volunteers back burning at Burrill Lake south of Ulladulla, Sunday, January 5, 2020

2019/2020 FIRE SEASON DEATH TOLL

The national death toll of Australia's 2019/2020 bushfire season was 33 as of Monday, March 2, with 25 confirmed deaths in New South Wales, three in South Australia and five in Victoria. 

OCTOBER

New South Wales: 

Robert Lindsey, 77, and Gwen Hyde, 68, were found in their burned out Coongbar home near Casino on October 9th. 

NOVEMBER

New South Wales:

The body of 85-year-old George Nole was found in a burnt out car near his home in Wytaliba, near Glen Innes.

Vivian Chaplain, a 69-year-old woman from Wytaliba, succumbed to her injuries in hospital after attempting in vain to save her home and animals from the blaze.

The body of 63-year-old Julie Fletcher was pulled from a scorched building in Johns River, north of Taree. 

Barry Parsons, 58, was found in a shed at Willawarrin, near Kempsey.

Chris Savva, 64, died after his 4WD overturned near burnt-out South Arm bridge, near Nambucca Heads.

A 59-year-old man was founded sheltered in a Yarrowitch water tank on November 7. He died of injuries on December 29.  

Victoria: 

David Moresi, 69, died after being involved in a traffic incident while working at the at the Gelantipy fire in East Gippsland on November 30. 

DECEMBER

New South Wales:   

Firefighters Andrew O'Dwyer, 36, and Geoffrey Keaton, 32, died on December 19 after a tree fell on their truck while they were travelling through Buxton, south of Sydney.

Samuel McPaul, 28, was battling a blaze in Jingellic, in Green Valley, about 70km east of Albury on the border of NSW and Victoria, on December 30 when a 'fire tornado' caused his 10-tonne firetruck to roll. 

South Australia:

The body of 69-year-old Ron Selth was found in his Charleston home, which was destroyed by the Cudlee Creek blaze on December 21. 

NEW YEAR'S EVE FIRES 

New South Wales: 

Dairy farmer Patrick Salway, 29, and his father Robert, 63, died trying to save their property in Cobargo, near Bega, on December 31. 

A 70-year-old man, named by local media as Laurie Andrew, was found dead outside a home at Yatte Yattah, west of Lake Conjola.

The body of a 70-year-old man was found in a burnt vehicle on a road off the Princes Highway at Yatte Yattah on the morning of New Year's Day.

The body of a 62-year-old man was found in a vehicle on Wandra Road at Sussex Inlet about 11.30am on New Year's Day.

A body, believed to be a 56-year-old man, found outside a home at Coolagolite, east of Cobargo on New Year's Day.

An off-duty RFS firefighter, believed to be 72-year-old Colin Burns, was found near a car in Belowra after the New Year's Eve fires swept through. 

Victoria: 

Beloved great-grandfather Mick Roberts, 67, from Buchan, in East Gippsland, was found dead at his home on the morning of New Year's Day. 

Fred Becker, 75, was the second person to die in Victoria. He suffered a heart attack while trying to defend his Maramingo Creek home.

JANUARY

New South Wales:

David Harrison, a 47-year-old man from Canberra, suffered a heart attack defending his friend's home near Batlow on Saturday, January 4. 

A 71-year-old man was found on January 6. Police have been told the man was last sighted on December 31, 2019 and was moving equipment on his property in Nerrigundah.

An 84-year-old man who stayed to defend his home in Cobargo, NSW, dies in hospital three weeks after fire hit. His pet dog Bella, who stayed by his side as fires raged, was also killed in the disaster.

Three American firefighters are killed when Coulson Aviation C-130 Hercules water bomber Zeus crashed while fighting fires near Cooma on Thursday January 23. They have been named as Capt. Ian H. McBeth, 44, First Officer Paul Clyde Hudson and Flight Engineer Rick A. DeMorgan Jr, 43.

On January 24, Michael Clark, 59, was found in a Bodalla home destroyed by bushfires near the NSW South Coast town of Moruya. 

Victoria:

Forest Fire Management firefighter Mat Kavanagh, 43, was killed Friday January 3 when he was involved in a two-car crash on the Goulburn Valley Highway.

Bill Slade, a 60-year-old father of two from Wonthaggi was fighting fires with Parks Victoria at Omeo when he died on January 11. He has been remembered as one of the longest serving, most experienced and fittest firefighters.  

South Australia: 

Well-known outback pilot Dick Lang, 78, and his 43-year-old son, Adelaide surgeon Clayton Lang, died in the Kangaroo Island bushfire after their car was trapped by flames.  

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NSW RFS say there are NO more active bushfires in New South Wales after horror summer killed 33

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