Weather conditions went from one extreme to another in Cessnock on Monday, with a fire raging through bushland in Neath followed by an afternoon storm that wreaked havoc on the city.
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At approximately 1pm Rural Fire Service volunteers and Fire and Rescue NSW crews were called to a blaze near Carrs Road.
Up to 12 RFS trucks attended the fire, which raged through about 90 hectares of bushland.
An RFS spokesperson said that there was no immediate threat to properties and there were no road closures. The cause of the fire will be investigated.
The temperature topped 34.5 degrees at 2pm and then dropped dramatically to 23.5 degrees at 4.45pm, when a westerly storm rolled into town.
In what has been described my many witnesses as a “mini-cyclone”, Cessnock was hit by the brunt of the storm with State Emergency crews called to over 20 jobs involving fallen trees and power lines.
At approximately 4.50pm Cessnock District Rescue Squad responded to reports that a tree had fallen on a car on Mount View Road.
Upon arrival rescue units and other emergency services found the car crushed underneath the tree, with no injuries to the driver.
Two large trees had fallen, blocking both Mount View and Oakey Creek Road, with downed power lines causing significant problems for residents of Vineyard Grove and surrounds.
Member for Cessnock Clayton Barr was driving when the storm hit, and said that the rain was coming down at a horizontal angle.
“It was a complete white out,” he said.
“I literally could not see a metre in front of me. It was like being at the snow.”
Ausgrid confirmed that power was cut to more than 1800 homes in Cessnock, with some areas still without power as late as midnight.
Cessnock District Rescue Squad spokesperson Chris Prince said that one of the most surprising things about the storm was the amount of trampolines that had been blown into neighbour yards and onto houses.
“I've never seen so many trampolines become flying saucers,” he said.
“With some coming to rest a few blocks away from the original location of the trampoline.
“These can become very dangerous and is a very good reminder about securing items like these in the storm season or when a storm is approaching as winds can pick up very quickly and easily lift a trampoline and cause significant damage to other property, injure someone and not to mention upset the kids as the trampoline is no longer useable and leave people out of pocket with expensive bills to fix damage property.”
The rescue squad continued the clean-up effort well into the night on Monday and then again on Tuesday, with many residents discovering damage or trees that have fallen.
Mr. Prince said that these events are a good reminder to check property, inspect gutters and the condition of rooves and to repair anything before it becomes a problem.
