Bridgetown And Denmark Bushfires: Resident Critical, At Least Five Properties Lost As Blazes Rage In WA South

ABC News

Key Points A Bridgetown resident has been critically injured fighting the fire Four properties in Denmark and one in Hester have been razed Police have sent arson squad detectives to Bridgetown to investigate

A Bridgetown resident is in a critical condition in hospital and five properties have been razed as twin bushfires wreak havoc in Western Australia's south.

Hundreds of firefighters battled blazes in Bridgetown, in WA's South West and in Denmark, in the state's Great Southern region.

On Sunday afternoon bushfire emergency warnings were issued for two other blazes in the state's Wheatbelt region, one in Shackleton in the shire of Bruce Rock, about 200 kilometres east of Perth, and another near Narrogin, about 200 kilometres south-east of Perth.

At about 7pm on Sunday evening the bushfire near Denmark, which destroyed four homes in its path, was downgraded.

Police are investigating the cause of the Bridgetown bushfire and have sent detectives from the specialist arson squad Strike Force Vulcan to the region.

Incident Controller Danny Mosconi confirmed the Bridgetown fire had now been contained but was not yet under control.

It has burned through 2380 hectares of land.

Mr Mosconi said reports of homes and property damaged in Hester were yet to be confirmed.

But it is believed there was minor damage to the shire depot, workshop and office and the water treatment plant.

The golf club was believed to have suffered extensive damage.

The bushfire at Bridgetown doubled in size on Saturday night and razed at least one home. (Supplied)

Mr Mosconi also said damage to the Timber Treaters site in Bridgetown had caused toxic fumes burning treated pine poles

Anyone within a 500-metre radius has been asked to evacuate for their own safety.

"We don't want people in that area to drink any of the water from tanks, to eat any produce from gardens in that area and also not to touch any dust on any play equipment or outside equipment," Mr Mosconi said.

Bridgetown's primary and secondary schools will be closed on Monday.

Man seriously injured at rural property

 Department of Fire and Emergency Service Commissioner Darren Klemm said a man had sustained serious burns while fighting the bushfire on his rural property near Bridgetown and had been taken to hospital.

Fiona Stanley Hospital in Perth later confirmed the man was in a critical but stable condition.

Commissioner Klemm said four homes in the Denmark region, on WA's Great Southern coast, had been lost in the fire, and another home had been damaged. Four other structures had also been razed — "outbuildings, chalets, sheds and the like".

A home in Hester, near Bridgetown, had also been razed he said.

The fires had been "extremely challenging" for firefighters, but he said milder weather conditions were expected to assist firefighters in Bridgetown today and tomorrow.

Commissioner Klemm said the Bridgetown fire, currently still at emergency warning level, was expected to be contained and under control by the end of the day.

However, westerly winds in Denmark will continue to pose challenges for firefighters there.

"The message to people in Denmark is that they need to make sure they're enacting their bushfire plan," he said.

Close to 350 firefighters are battling blazes in parts of Bridgetown and Denmark, which have now burned through roughly 5,000 hectares of bushland.

One local resident was badly burned while fighting the Bridgetown fire and is in a critical condition in hospital.(Facebook: Little Hill Farm)

Power has been restored to about 11,000 homes and businesses in the two towns that were without power overnight, however, more than 2,000 properties remain without electricity.

Bridgetown hospital evacuated

In Bridgetown residents of the town, as well as hospital patients and staff, were evacuated on Saturday and at least 200 people gathered at the evacuation centre.

The emergency department was closed on Saturday but has since reopened. However, there are still no plans to move evacuated patients back to the hospital.

Police said the cause of the fire was unknown, but Strike Force Vulcan detectives were investigating.

Bushfire smoke over the town hall in Bridgetown.(Supplied: Michelle Moir Treestays)

The Department of Fire and Emergency Service's duty commissioner Rick Curtis said the fire escalated rapidly on Saturday afternoon.

He said there were reports of impacted properties to the north and north-east of the town.

Firefighters worked through the night battling the blaze at Hester, near Bridgetown. (DFES: Evan Collis)

An emergency warning remains in place for parts of Hester, Hester Brook, Bridgetown, Greenbushes, Catterick and Kangaroo Gully.

A bushfire watch and act alert is in place for Catterick, North Greenbushes, Benjinup, Winnejup and Kangaroo Valley.

Fire crews worked through the night to build containment lines in Denmark.(Supplied: Emily Harper)

The fire started near the intersection of Hester Cascades Road and South Western Highway in Hester Brook. Some Bridgetown residents were allowed back into their homes today to retrieve essentials. However, police are now redirecting vehicles away from the town.

Some residents were allowed back into their Bridgetown homes to retrieve essentials as a the bushfire continued to threaten the town. (ABC News: Herlyn Kaur)

Residents in Boyup Brook have been advised by the Water Corporation to limit their water use, after the fire cut power to the pump stations supplying the town's water tank.

The fire at Hester, near Bridgetown in WA's South West, is feared to have destroyed properties. (DFES: Evan Collis)

Water will be carted to the town to supplement the supply when possible, the corporation said.

More than 180 people slept at an evacuation centre set up in Manjimup overnight.

Denmark residents fear for their homes

Many residents near Denmark had spent the night not knowing if their property had fallen victim to the flames after the fire barrelled towards the town.

McLeod Road resident Susan Asher feared her house might be gone and on Sunday authorities confirmed four homes in the region had been lost and another home had been damaged.

The scene near Denmark on Saturday.(Supplied)

"[There was] black massive smoke, a red glow and the noise was awful," she said.

"It's terrifying … it just went crazy."

"We were told they were there until midnight last night. The concern is it might be lost as the power's gone out, there's no water pressure.

"They said it was standing last night, [but] with the change of wind … we don't have a clue.

"I think it's gone. I hope it's not."

A bushfire watch and act alert is in place for parts of Shadforth and Scotsdale after the blaze was downgraded late on Sunday.

The Bridgetown bushfire, which burnt throughout the night, has affected power and water supplies to nearby areas. (DFES: Evan Collis)

The fire is stationary but is still out of control and unpredictable, say local authorities.

Youtube How to prepare for bushfires | Emergency Tips

 About 190 firefighters are at the scene and are working to consolidate all boundaries.

The fire was first reported just before 9:30am on Friday. 

Shackleton bushfire escalates to include Corrigin, Kulin

Not good, Babakin, CORRIGIN. Look after people first, other stuff can be rebuilt. pic.twitter.com/nn3NMyWFyG

— Simon Wallwork (@WallworkSimon) February 6, 2022

The Shackleton bushfire emergency warning area includes the townships of Corrigin and Kulin.

It is bounded by Carger Road and Ardath West Road to the north, Eujiyn South Road, Babakin North Road, Parsons Road, Bruce Rock-Corrigin, Corrigin-Kondinin Road to the east, Bullaring-Gorge Rock Road to the south and Shackleton-Bilbarin Road to the west.

The fire is moving rapidly in a south-westerly direction and residents are advised to shelter in place as authorities say it is too late to leave.

About 140 firefighters are battling the blaze and strengthening containment lines.

Babakin Primary School will be closed on Monday.

Narrogin blaze elevated to emergency warning

Late on Sunday afternoon, a fire near Narrogin was also elevated to an emergency level.

The warning is in place for the Wickepin townsite and east of Narrogin in parts of Yillimining, Boundain, Nomans Lake and Toolibin in the shire of Narrogin.

The fire, which was reported just after 10:30am, was moving in an easterly direction and was not contained or controlled, with flames reaching two metres high, the alert said.

About 100 firefighters were at the scene and aerial support had been sent to assist ground crews.

Links

• WA bushfires linked to climate change as homes lost
• WA fires fuelled by 'changing climate', authorities say, as emergency warnings downgraded
• (Scientific American) Fires Doubled Australia’s Carbon Emissions—Ecosystems May Never Soak It Back Up
• (AU ENS) Australia Links Increasing Megafires To Climate Change
• 2021: A Year Of Climate Crisis In Review
• (AU NYT) First Fires, Then Floods: Climate Extremes Batter Australia

(ELEMENTS) Ranked: The Top 10 Countries By Energy Transition Investment

ELEMENTS - Govind Bhutada

Global investment in energy transition hit a record high of $755b in 2021, up 27% relative to 2020.

LARGE IMAGE

Ranked: The Top 10 Countries by Energy Transition Investment

More than 130 countries have set or are considering a goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.

Achieving net-zero on a global scale, however, requires $125 trillion in climate investment by 2050, according to research commissioned by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

While that level of investment hasn’t been achieved yet, it’s ramping up. In 2021, the world spent $755 billion on deploying low-carbon energy technologies, up 27% from the year prior.

This graphic highlights the top 10 countries by low-carbon energy investment in 2021 using data from BloombergNEF.

Energy Transition Investment by Country
 
The top 10 countries together invested $561 billion in the energy transition, nearly three-fourths of the world total.

Country	2021 Energy Transition Investment (US$)	% of World Total
China	$266B	35.2%
U.S.	$114B	15.1%
Germany	$47B	6.2%
U.K.	$31B	4.1%
France	$27B	3.6%
Japan	$26B	3.4%
India	$14B	1.9%
South Korea	$13B	1.7%
Brazil	$12B	1.6%
Spain	$11B	1.5%
Total	$561B	74.3%

China increased its overall energy transition investment by 60% from 2020 levels, further cementing its position as a global leader. The country’s wind and solar capacity increased by 19% in 2021, with electrified transport also accounting for a large portion of the investment.

Next, the U.S. invested $114 billion in clean energy last year, up 17% from 2020. Several European countries also made the top 10 list, with Germany, U.K., and France rounding out the top five. In total, European countries invested $219 billion in the energy transition.

Which Low-Carbon Technologies are Attracting Investment?

While the top 10 countries provide an overview of where investments are being made, it’s also interesting to see which sectors are seeing the biggest influxes of capital.

Here’s a breakdown of energy transition investment by sector in 2021:

Technology/Sector	Total Investment in 2021 (US$)	% change from 2020
Renewable energy	$365.9B	6.8%
Electrified transport	$273.2B	76.7%
Electrified heat	$52.7B	10.7%
Nuclear	$31.5B	6.1%
Sustainable Materials	$19.3B	141.3%
Energy Storage	$7.9B	-6.0%
Carbon capture & storage	$2.3B	-23.3%
Hydrogen	$2.0B	33.3%
Total	$754.8B	26.8%

Renewables accounted for nearly 50% of total investment in 2021. However, electrified transport drove much of the growth as several countries charged ahead in the shift to electric vehicles.

Nuclear power also racked up roughly $32 billion in investments, as conviction grows that it can deliver reliable, carbon-free electricity. But the biggest overall percentage gain was seen in sustainable materials including recycling and bioplastics, which saw investment activity more than double in 2021.

Given that the dawn of clean energy is still in its early hours, technologies in the sector are constantly evolving. As the race to net-zero continues, which energy technologies will draw even more investment in the future?

Links

• (AU Bloomberg) A $213 Billion Investor Targets Whole Nation Over Climate Change
• Bill Gates: Here's A Formula That Explains Where We Need To Invest In Climate Innovation
• (AU) Net Zero Emissions Target For Australia Could Launch $63bn Investment Boom
• The Economic Theory That Could Fuel A Climate Change Revolution 
• (AU The Conversation) Tracking The Transition: The ‘Forgotten’ Emissions Undoing The Work Of Australia’s Renewable Energy Boom
• (USA VICE) A ‘Complete’ Energy Transition Is Needed By 2030 To Avoid ‘Existential Threat’ To Humanity
• Wielding $9 Trillion, Investors Warn Firms From BP To BMW To Get Real On Climate Change
• (UK) (AU) Net-Zero Emissions Drive Puts Australian Industry On Notice

(AU AFR) Australia’s Battery Capacity Set To Double Within Months

AFR - Colin Packham

Australia’s battery capacity will double this year as major projects come online, heightening pressure on the country’s fossil fuel power generators that are struggling to compete against soaring renewable energy generation.

Battery capacity in Australia during 2021 totalled about 0.4 gigawatts but it marked a year of major construction projects beginning and much of this is expected to come online this year, Rystad Energy data shows.

Batteries such as the Victorian Big Battery undercut the argument that gas is needed for grid stability.

With many large-scale projects set to be operational, utility-scale battery capacity will top 1.1 GW by the second half of 2022, Rystad expects.

Costs are declining and operators are being incentivised by energy arbitrage, which is storing energy when it is cheap and providing it when prices are high.

“This is the era of the utility-scale battery, but everyone is talking about hydrogen,” said Gero Farruggio, head of Australia and global renewables at Rystad Energy.

“Over the last 12 months, barring COVID, hydrogen has been grabbing all the headlines, but the reality is there has been this intense build-out of batteries.”

The surge in grid-scale battery capacity will intensify pressure on Australia’s coal power generators that are already struggling to compete against cheaper renewable energy.

Coal – Australia’s largest energy source – has suffered from weak demand in recent months, as rooftop solar installation rapidly increases and, with cooler temperatures, decreased demand for things such as air conditioning.

As a result, the Australian Energy Market Operator said, quarterly average demand for power from the grid fell to the lowest level for a fourth quarter since 2005.

Wholesale electricity prices were at zero or below more than 16 per cent of the time during the last three months of last year.

The financial strain has already forced some coal-powered plants to close, and many others have announced a timetable to follow suit. AEMO expects coal-fired power generators will have exited the NEM substantially by 2030 and entirely by 2043, up to a decade faster in some cases than previously anticipated.

The decline of coal has stoked concern within some quarters about the social and economic impact on regional mining communities. Others have questioned the stability of Australia’s energy grid during periods when it relies heavily on renewable sources that are intermittent in supply.

Still, renewable energy generation is expected to continue to soar, depressing demand on traditional fossil fuel sources. Low demand on the grid can require AEMO to direct plants such as gas-fired generators to come online to help keep the system stable.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said gas – which is far more flexible than coal in supply – will be needed to stabilise the grid.

But huge batteries – such as the 150 megawatt battery, which can produce one hour of energy at its maximum output, at the former Hazelwood coal-fired power station in Victoria – undercuts the argument that gas is needed.

“On any feasible cost-benefit analysis, batteries have overtaken gas turbines,” said Bruce Mountain, director of Victoria Energy Policy Centre. “Almost all the private sector investment has been in batteries. The one or two gas turbines that may be proceeding have only got there with a lot of government subsidies and the only gas turbine is being entirely financed by the government.

“It raises very big questions for gas, and it raises very big questions for transmission augmentation. Why is it that we are contemplating these enormously expensive transmission augmentations?”

The government’s Natural Gas Infrastructure Plan, released late last year by federal Energy Minister Angus Taylor, envisages at least one new gas basin being brought online before 2030 to meet east coast demand.

However, the plan would require new pipeline infrastructure, in some cases involving more than one pipeline, to allow gas to flow to where it is needed by customers.

But analysts say new pipelines are unnecessary and the business case is “poor”.

Links

• Power records fall on solar surge, cool weather
• Early coal power exit demands $12.5b transmission spend
• 2021 National Gas Infrastructure Plan (pdf)
• (AU ABC) Victorian Government Commits $14 Million To Battery Facility, Regional Hydrogen
• (AU) World's First Domestic Hydrogen Battery Developed By Australian Firm
• (AU) Shared Community Battery May Be Trialled In Solar-Powered Canberra Suburb To Stabilise Energy Supply
• Build A Better Battery For Wind And Solar Storage, And The Energy Sector Will Beat A Path To Your Door