NSW Bush Fires Doomsday Rising: Pope Francis Prays for NSW as Forced Mass Evacuation Underway
In a message addressed to the Bishops' Conference of Australia, Vatican's new secretary of state, Archbishop Pietro Parolin, shared that Pope Francis is praying for the victims of wildfires in the country.
In an official statement from Archbishop Parolin, as reported by the Vatican Radio, he said that Pope Francis is especially praying for the fatalities and casualties of the bushfires.
"His Holiness Pope Francis has asked me to express his concern for the people of New South Wales and all who are affected by the devastation wrought by the extensive fires in the region.
"He prays especially for those who have died and for those who have lost their homes and workplaces, as well as for the numerous personnel working to combat the fires and provide comfort and care for those who are suffering. Invoking the spiritual gifts of solidarity and perseverance upon the communities touched by these trying events, the Holy Father sends his blessing."
In local reports, the NSW bushfire is already likened to a doomsday scenario as the entire Blue Mountains and the suburbs of Penrith and Richmond are in the threshold of becoming red in days to come.
On Sunday, NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell announced a state of emergency across the state for the next 30 days. The state of emergency declared allowed all emergency services to make the judgement call in any scenario that could arise from the expected calamitous NSW bushfire.
Assistant Police Commissioner Alan Clarke said that "police will be doing forced evacuations if necessary."
This was supported by Mr O'Farrell saying that forced mass evacuation is imminent as most horrible wildfire situation has yet to come.
''We are talking wind strengths starting at 25 to 30 kilometres [an hour] and gusting up to 50, 60 and right up to - as the days roll on - wind strengths of 70 to 100 kilometres per hour across these fireground areas,'' NSW Rural Fire Services Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons told The Age.
More terrible bushfire situation is expected to happen on Wednesday.
''We are not in a catastrophic [weather] ratings scale [but] we are talking about fire danger ratings that will be in the severe category and you overlay that with the fires that are already burning and it's a whole new ball game ... we could see the communities of the Blue Mountains from Mount Victoria and Blackheath all the way down to Penrith will be affected by fire, and also the Bells Line of Road and then into north-western Sydney and Richmond '' Mr Fitzsimmons explained.
Mr O'Farrell said that the looming forced evacuation can cause more misery for the residents but ''at times like this that it's better to be safe than sorry''.
''I'm sure it will be [controversial]. There isn't much in the fire-management business that isn't controversial ... But I'd rather be copping criticism in two or three days' time for what didn't occur," Mr Fitzsimmons told of the looming forced evacuation.
Relocation had been started on Sunday for the residents of Bell in the Blue Mountains, Bilpin village, including the communities of Mount Tomah and Berambing. Bilpin residents were given the choice to stay on their own discretion, but Mr O'Farrell emphasised that "if the choice is life or property, the choice clearly should be life."
''At the end of the day, we hope we have buildings standing, but if we don't have buildings standing, we don't want bodies in them. It's important to understand that the single tragedy we've had in these fires so far has been ... where an individual chose to remain and fight a fire," Mr Clarke accentuated.