Three blazes sprung up within a three-hour period in the windy conditions on Wednesday night, at Beresfield, Tenambit and Teralba.

It came after Rural Fire Service crews were called to two blazes last Tuesday – one at Abermain and the other at Mulbring – only four days before the official bushfire danger period began on October 1.

The largest of Wednesday’s Hunter fires, at Beresfield (pictured), destroyed 12 hectares of bush near the New England Highway and John Renshaw Drive.

It caused the closure of south-bound lanes on the busy John Renshaw Drive until about 1am on Thursday.

With high winds in the Hunter this week, and a steep rise in temperature expected on Monday – 36 degrees – the fires serve as timely reminders for residents to be vigilant about fire safety as we approach summer.

This region is no stranger to large fires, with major blazes gripping the Heatherbrae area in 2013 and a fire threatening the township of Neath just before Christmas last year.

Each year, RFS reminds communities, particularly regional communities like those in the Hunter, to do their part to reduce the chances of bushfires being able to thrive.

On its website, www.rfs.nsw.gov.au, the RFS has some easily accessible tips on how to reduce fuel loads on properties and how to make a survival plan that can be enacted if a blaze threatens your property.

Captain of the Maitland Fire and Rescue NSW branch, which has jurisdiction over Maitland city, Paul Casey told Fairfax Media last month that bushfire preparations were important for properties inside and outside of towns.

“Clear your gutters, trim bushes, keep your own are clear,” he advised.

“If you have a sprinkler put it on your roof… lock up all doors and windows.

“Have a bushfire plan ready if you live near the bush and be ready for ember attacks.”

As with any message that gets repeated year on year, there’s a risk that communities could become complacent.

But we should look no further than the devastation bushfires have caused in communities in Victoria and the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, to understand the devastation that these phenomena can cause and take simple steps to be better prepared.