A coronial inquiry in NSW has heard issues of delayed emergency alerts, limited phone reception and other concerns. 

The fatal Kangawalla fire, which hit the town of Wytaliba near Glenn Innes on November 8 during 2019, has been used as a case study by the NSW Bushfires Coronial Inquiry at Lidcombe this week. 

Former Glenn Innes Severn Council mayor Carol Sparks spoke about having to travel from her Wytaliba property to Glenn Innes on the afternoon of November 8 just to get more information for the community.

“I could see smoke and fire on my way in,” Ms Sparks said. 

“I tried to warn them there was fire in Wytaliba but it felt like I wasn't being listened to.”

Ms Sparks was affected by pleas for help she heard from the local fire brigade and had to be escorted from the Glen Innes fire control centre.

Wytaliba Rural Fire brigade captain Richard Jeremy spoke too, saying that when he called the control centre to report fire impacting the town, asking for emergency alerts to be sent to residents in the area, it was almost an hour until it happened.

“It was the scariest thing I've ever been through in my life,” Mr Jeremy said.

“I shook in my own house for two and a half hours. I was looking at my dogs saying; ‘I’m not sure if I’m going to survive this or not’.”

The concerns were worse for people living in the valley with internet or phone reception. 

Two people died that afternoon and more than half the town was destroyed. 

NSW Rural Fire Service communications officer Angela Burford - who was working in the Glenn Innes fire control centre on the afternoon of November 8 - said resources were overextended.

“Multiple emergency warnings had been issued and were being juggled,” she said. 

Ms Burford said that before issuing an emergency alert for Wytaliba, she had to confirm details of the situation on the ground so that the information was accurate.

Additionally, she said she had to factor in message fatigue because the community had received a number of alerts in the days leading up to November 8.

Ms Burford told the coroner she had only ever sent one emergency alert on any given day before the fire, but on that day she had to send eight. 

The inquiry continues this week, with the coroner expected to make recommendations to improve communication between the RFS and communities during 2023.