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Byron Shire
November 9, 2026

Fire in Wardell, Busbys Flat Fire still burning

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Screen shot of RFS Fires Near Me around 8am Monday morning

At least ten bush and grass fires were burning in the far north coast area this morning, including one in the Ballina shire.

The RFS said fire-fighters were trying to control a fire at Wardell Road, Wardell, south of Ballina, that was burning through 470 hectares.

Lightening strikes late last week started several new fires across the Northern Rivers that the RFS was trying to combat with ground and aircraft equipment.

Meanwhile, the Busbys Flat Road fire in the Richmond Valley shire was still burning in Busbys Flat, Wyan, Myrtle Creek and Rappville and had burnt through 50,000 hectares so far.

Traditional sites still intact

The RFS Northern Rivers Zone team reported on its Facebook page the Busbys Flat Road fire had burnt through a broad area of the country including several areas of significance to local indigenous people.

On Saturday, RFS agents escorted a member of the Casino Boolangle Local Aboriginal Land Council into several sites to inspect for fire damage.

The sites were reportedly found relatively undamaged and intact.

The RFS Northern Rivers Zone acknowledged the Bungalung Nation and Uncle Graham Randell as the Cultural Sites Officer for the Casino – Boolangle LALC.

Another three fires were burning in the Richmond Valley Shire, all of them under control.

Long Gully Rd fire in Drake still burning

Those fires had burned 36 hectares at Benauds Rd, Bora Ridge; five hectures at Ainsworth Rd, Hogarth Range; and another hectare at McDonalds Waterhold Rd, Camira.

Tenterfield was hard hit, with five fires still burning this morning, including the Long Gull Rd fire at Drake.

That fire was under control but had burnt more than 74,000 hectares, the biggest of all the fires north of the Clarence Valley Shire.

Fire-fighters were trying to get control of another fire burning more than 800 hectares at Silent Grove, Torrington, south-west of Tenterfield.

A fire at Kildare Rd, in Tenterfield, had burnt 550 hectares but was under control, while the RFS was still trying to control another fire at Skyes Gap Rd that had burnt more than 250 hectares.

Eight hectares were burnt by a fire at Lindsay Creek Rd in Woodenbong.



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