‘How good is this weather!’
It’s a common refrain among locals of late.
And why not? Some days in the Shire it feels like the weather gods have hit fast forward on spring and gone straight to summer.
But not everyone is dancing through the daisies. Our local firies are quietly viewing the continued clear skies with a hint of concern.
After an unseasonably wet winter, the grass is growing like the clappers and the undergrowth isn’t far behind.
It’s creating a large fuel load that significantly increases the risk of local fires as things dry out.
The fire permit season has just begun, meaning that locals are forbidden from burning-off on their properties without authorisation.
Captain of the Main Arm RFS brigade, Lance Hopson, says doing the right thing is particularly vital given the drying conditions.
Growing season
‘We’re probably two-to-three weeks ahead in terms of the growing season, so it does change the equation a bit,’ he says.
‘People are loving the beautiful warm weather which is great, but having it so early in the season is a bit of a concern’.
‘It means things could happen quickly and in multiple areas at once.
‘But we’re ready and we’ll deal with any incident with the same level of professionalism as we always do.’
Fortunately, from a fire perspective, the long-term weather forecast is not for the dry weather to continue deep into spring.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) is predicting above-average rainfall for October and November.
Regrowth concern
But Mr Hopson is nevertheless asking people not to burn-off without a permit and to mitigate risks by addressing potential fire hazards on their properties.
‘I’ve been chatting to the other firies and everyone’s concerned about the regrowth,’ Mr Hopson says.
‘We’ve already seen some early fire activity with a number of grass fires down south and some of us are definitely looking at the high grass around here with a bit of concern.’
‘If you’re on property you can slash the paddocks and keep your grass short,’ he said.
‘You definitely need to check your fence lines. People often revert to spray in those spots which only kills the grass so you’re not getting rid of the fire risk.’
Vollies needed
Those interested in volunteering for the RFS are also being encouraged to do so now, so that they’ll be trained and ready to tackle fires early in the new year.
‘If you’re keen to join up don’t wait until you smell smoke to sign up, do it now,’ Mr Hopson says.
‘That way your local station can get you through the training.’
For more information on RFS volunteering and fire mitigation strategies, visit the RFS website: www.rfs.nsw.gov.au. For up to date information on bushfire threats in your area, download the Hazards Near Me app.
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