Bushfire emergencies downgraded in NT
Emergency bushfire warnings have been downgraded for residents in and around Humpty Doo and Milne in the Northern Territory.
People had been asked to take action immediately, being told that and any delay "puts your life at risk", with Bushfires NT saying "the risk of loss of life or threat to properties is almost certain or has occurred".
Dozens took refuge at the Sandpalms Roadhouse on Fog Bay Road in Dundee, anticipating the worst.
Kaylene, a motel worker at the Sandpalms said the people waiting there "didn't know what the damage was" to their properties.
"The wind just changed so quickly, we had to flee. They were just trying to save their properties," she added.
Kaylene said the fire was "so intense" that it was hard to watch even from a distance. The property owners around the corner from the motel had managed to save their house, but lost their shed, she said.
The fires in Humpty Doo, east of Darwin, and in Milne, near Dundee to Darwin's southwest, were later downgraded to watch and act advice levels.
Active fire may occur in both locations close to the roadside, with Bushfire NT undertaking defensive strategies to protect property. Backburning was on Sunday night occurring in both locations.
Bushfires NT has announced a total fire ban for Monday in the Darwin and Adelaide River areas, the fifth consecutive day of total fire bans.
