Search for bodies begins after Tasmania bushfires

Authorities have begun searching for bodies amid fears lives may have been lost in bushfires that have ravaged southern Tasmania.

More than 100 buildings have been destroyed by the fires, which continue to burn on the Tasman Peninsula, and while there have been no confirmed deaths, police say they have fears for a number of people.

Acting Police Commissioner Scott Tilyard said up to 100 people had not made contact with family or authorities by Sunday afternoon and the search for bodies has so far centred on destroyed properties in Dunalley, Boomer Bay and Marion Bay.

"It's not to say those people have necessarily come to harm, but we can't totally eliminate that until we have contact with those individuals," Tilyard told reporters.

"But we have to brace ourselves for the fact we may locate one or more deceased people."

He said police teams were checking around eight properties an hour.

"At this stage we have not located any deceased people," he said on Sunday afternoon.

"There are a lot of premises that need to be checked. Until we've had the opportunity to check every one of those locations we won't be in a position to confirm there has been no deaths."

Tasmania Fire Service (TFS) chief fire officer Mike Brown said crews were having trouble accessing parts of the Tasman Peninsula as they battled to bring the Forcett fire under control.

"There is still some problems getting fire vehicles into the Tasman Peninsula to work more on protecting properties and protecting assets," he said.

He said around 60,000 hectares have been burned out while another blaze of around the same size continues to burn out of control in remote areas of the southwest of the state.

While that blaze is not affecting any communities, Brown said Parks and Wildlife were checking on its register for any bushwalkers who may be in the area.

He said there was no time frame on when the fires would be brought under control.

"Our predictions over the next week is that temperatures will warm up a bit," he said.

More than 1000 people have been evacuated from the peninsula to Hobart via boat, with the final ferryload of 180 people departing Nubeena for the capital early on Sunday morning.

Hundreds more have sought refuge with relatives and in evacuation centres across the region, including at the Port Arthur historic site.

Acting Premier Bryan Green has announced financial assistance saying hundreds of Tasmanians have been affected.

"This is a very harrowing time for many Tasmanians and our communities have more challenges to face in the weeks and months to come," he said in a statement on Sunday.

The threat posed to communities by the Forcett bushfire was downgraded to watch and act, but the blaze continues to burn out of control, and has already done massive damage throughout the peninsula.

The town of Dunalley was the worst hit, with around 65 homes and the town's school destroyed, while dozens more buildings were razed at Connellys Marsh, Eaglehawk Neck, Murdunna, Copping and Primrose Sands.

Brown said a bushfire near Bicheno had destroyed between 10 and 15 homes, and burned around 7000 hectares.

The fire continues to burn out of control and the town's main access route, Coles Bay Road, was closed again after briefly reopening on Sunday morning.

Firefighters and support personnel have flown in from Victoria and NSW to assist the fight.

The federal government is making disaster relief funding of up to a $1000 ($1259) per person available to those Tasmanians affected by the bushfires.

Speaking in Sydney, Minister for Emergency Management Nicola Roxon said the government had made emergency funding available from noon AEDT (2pm NZT) on Sunday for those impacted by the fires.

"People living in the local government areas affected will be able to claim up a $1000 ($1259) per adult and $400 ($503) per child," she said.

"Other emergency assistance will be made available for people who need money for food and temporary accommodation.

"That comes on top of the funding that Tasmania and the commonwealth together will invest to rebuild those communities."

Roxon said the emergency relief funding was not means-tested but residents had to be affected by the fires and live in certain local government areas to be eligible.

The funding aid had so far been activated in three local government areas with assessments currently being done on two others, she said.

"We're very conscious that our emergency relief organisations do swing into action very quickly here," Roxon said.

She said she could not predict how many people might need the emergency cash.

"We've got a long way to go this summer," she said.

Yesterday insurers declared the bushfire-hit towns a catastrophe and police powers were increased when the Tasman Peninsula was declared a serious-incident site.

Electricity company Aurora said it could take several weeks to restore power in some areas, with 300 poles down on the Tasman Peninsula.

Sunday 6 January 2013

http://tvnz.co.nz/world-news/search-bodies-begins-after-tasmania-bushfires-5312618