Wind Shift Turns NSW Bushfire Into Home-Destroying Inferno

CENTRAL COAST:  At least a dozen homes were damaged or destroyed after a bushfire on the NSW Central Coast suddenly accelerated due to a dramatic change in wind direction, catching residents off guard on Saturday afternoon.

People in parts of Koolewong, nestled between Gosford and Woy Woy, were ordered to evacuate as the blaze tore across the landscape, quickly reaching residential properties.

By Saturday evening, NSW Premier Chris Minns confirmed that at least 12 homes had been damaged or destroyed by the intense inferno. Minns called the incident “devastating for them on the eve of Christmas.”

The fire moved with alarming speed, jumping one kilometre across Woy Woy Bay into the Woy Woy Bay Road and Phegans Bay areas. Homes dotted in the thick, picturesque bushland of the coast were quickly engulfed by flames, with acrid black smoke blanketing neighbouring streets.

For residents like Tony Stellino, the loss was absolute. “I went out there and had a look too and [thought] oh my god… it’s on top of us,” Stellino recounted. Knowing his home was lost before he could return, he focused on survival: “We made it, we’re still here, we’ll start again. Everything’s gone, you know, memories, all our clothes, all our possessions.”

Approximately 60 people sought refuge at an evacuation centre established at Gosford RSL, while many others self-evacuated. Premier Minns issued a stern warning to the public: “This is a warning for everyone to follow the advice… we need to make sure we do everything we possibly can to protect lives.”

A massive operational response was launched, with 50 firetrucks, 250 firefighters, and nine waterbombing planes deployed to contain the Koolewong blaze. RFS Commissioner Trent Curtin noted that a combination of strong winds, hot conditions, and steep, difficult terrain created “prime conditions for the fire to spread rapidly.”

New threats loomed overnight, including a predicted band of lightning that could spark new fires, and a critical wind change forecasted for the early hours of Sunday morning.