A campfire is suspected to be the cause of a blaze on Saturday evening which burnt out around two hectares at Tallow Creek.
The illegal camp-out at Tallow Creek didn’t go as planned as the fire got out of control.
Fortunately for the surrounding bushland and residents beyond that, there was a mild wind blowing the fire towards the beach, though the fire was slowly moving down the spit southwards towards Suffolk.
New South Wales Rural Fire Service staff and volunteers along with NPWS staff spent Saturday night, and most of Sunday putting out the fire started by illegal campers. They are currently patrolling the fire perimeter, extinguishing any flare ups and hot spots, with the ongoing dry and windy weather conditions predicted over the coming days.
Even though spring has just begun, fires have been burning up and down the coast for several weeks and visitors and residents are asked to adhere to fire restrictions.
Residents are reminded to ensure they have a current Bush Fire Survival Plan, which can be downloaded from the NSWRFS website.
I’m guessing there’s already a viable “education” system in place to let visitors know about fire danger here? If not, there sure should be! Foreigners visiting longing for that unforgettable holiday… just don’t realise lighting fires in dry bushland is extremely dangerous. Every backpacker accommodation… and all Air BnB places, should have large signs alerting visitors to local dangers. I’m sure they already know about the sharks because of the media coverage…but so many don’t realise lighting a beach fire with a wind blowing off the beach in dry season is a sure recipe for disaster. We were lucky this time it was blowing the other way.
If its not doofs plaguing the wildlife, its bushfires. How to co exist with tourists who just don’t know how to have a good, safe, non-destructive holiday here? There must be a way…