It may still be winter, but that doesn’t mean Lower Hunter residents can be complacent when it comes to fire safety.
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On Friday, the NSW Rural Fire Service warned that The Lower was set for a very high fire danger on Saturday, August 11.
People are asked to be aware of the changing conditions and know their risk, as well as ensuring they have an updated bush fire survival plan for 2018/19.
The NSW Rural Fire Service is urging Lower Hunter residents to take extreme care when conducting burning activties following an unusually high number of fires in the local area due to unreasonable conditions.
NSW RFS Operational officer Guy Baddock said local brigades had been called to a number of fires in recent weeks, including Cessnock, Dungog and Port Stephens Local Government Areas.
“Current warm, dry conditions mean landowners need to be very careful when attempting any burning,” he said.
“Residents and landowners need to take care when using fire and remember it is their responsibility to control the fire so that it doesn’t escape and cause damage.
“When undertaking burning activities, landowners need to notify their neighbours and local fire authority 24 hours before lighting a fire.”
Residents planning to conduct hazard reduction burning should first contact their local fire control centre and check if a fire permit is required.
Operational officer Baddock said all Lower Hunter residents should take the current conditions seriously and make sure they have a completed and practiced bush fire survival plan, in order to protect their family and property should they be threatened by fire.
“If you are not prepared for the bush fire season then you should act now,” he said.
“Everyone should be using this time to prepare their property, which includes clearing gutters and removing fuel from around homes.
“All households should have a well practiced bush fire survival plan so residents know what to do, particularly on days of increased fire danger, because there is no room for complacency when it comes to bush fire safety.”
For more information, visit www.rfs.nsw.gov.au
