It’s warming up and we’ve already seen several Total Fire Ban (TOBAN) days declared on the NSW North Coast. But today is the official beginning of the fire season with many still remaining homeless after the devastation of last years unprecedented Black Summer fires.
As part of a new campaign by the NSW Fire Service survivors of last summer’s horrific NSW bush fires are sharing their experiences in a new public awareness campaign being launched today.
The Bushfire Survival Plan is a key focus of this years $2m campaign that will focus on ‘How fireproof is your plan?’.
‘Our new public awareness campaign this year features personal accounts from people who lost their homes in last year’s devastating bush fires. People need to understand the risk and prepare for it – and do it now. You can never be too prepared,’ said NSW RFS Commissioner Rob Rogers.
Last season, with 26 people killed and more than 2000 homes destroyed across NSW, there were many stories which emerged which show the importance of being ready.
‘By taking the simple steps you can prepare your property – for example, removing flammable materials from their yards, clearing leaves from gutters, checking hoses can reach all around the house.
‘The single most important thing every family can do is have that five-minute conversation about important decisions like when to leave and what to take if a fire threatens your home. You can check how fireproof your bush fire plan is in just five minutes at www.myfireplan.com.au,’ Mr Rogers added.
Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott said that while this year will not be as extreme as last year, with plenty of grass around after a wet winter, people still need to be very careful when using fire and observe the rules around total fire ban days.
‘The rain has brought with it fire danger conditions with increased pasture growth. As the grass dries out, there’s a very real potential for fires, particularly across western NSW and later in the season,’ Mr Elliott said.
