Update Owendale Backburn Postponed

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• Owendale Backburn postponed.
• No maps available for public as yet.
• There was no confirmation of burn going ahead given.

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We have just been informed that a backburn of the Owendale fire in the Pokolbin state forest was scheduled to go ahead today, but current weather has postponed the backburn and is to likely go ahead, we were unaware the burn had been confirmed for today.

As soon as maps are available we will update the post.

🔥🚒IMPORTANT INFORMATION- PLEASE SHARE🚒🔥
IMPORTANT FIRE UPDATE – Backburn on Owendale fireground scheduled for today has been postponed
This post is to update you on suppression operations for the Owendale Fire, south east of Broke and west of Pokolbin. Due to overnight showers on the Owendale Fire Ground, the proposed back burn will not go ahead today. This burn is likely to go ahead in the coming days and we will provide further advice as to timings as we know more. We will continue to monitor the situation, and will update you should the situation change.

Statement from Pokolbin RFS

Lower Hunter Fire Control is in the early stages of planning a mega backburn from Broke Fordwich to Pokolbin burning around major vineyards after the Owendale Fire broke containment lines today.

There’s been several breakout fires from the Owendale fire on Saturday afternoon under severe bushfire conditions.

RFS spokeswoman Leanne Bell says it’s a concern because Broke is to the west of the fire, Singleton Army base is to the north and Pokolbin to the east

If we don’t try to slow down the fire it could burn all the way to Pokolbin uncontrolled,” she said.

Leanne Bell

The backburn could have serious implications for the region’s winegrowers ahead of harvest, with smoke taint having the potential to ruin millions of dollars worth of crops.

Andrew Margan has already stated his crop is ruined from the previous backburn in the Broke Area. Lower Hunter RFS will work closely with Vineyard operators. But the RFS will do what needs to be done even if means millions of crops are lost due to smoke damage.

The backburn is required but could only go ahead if there is enough resources available to conduct such a huge backburn.

Images of the Broke Backburn conducted over the last week supplied by 000 Photography