A WARNING has been issued to all Hastings residents to be bushfire-ready.
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The official start of the bushfire danger period has been brought forward amid fears the ongoing dry conditions and little rain in the lead up to summer will increase the regional fire threat.
The NSW Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) is urging residents on the Mid North Coast and North Coast to prepare for the fire season now, with fire permits for all burning activities compulsory from tomorrow.
NSW RFS Superintendent Kam Baker is urging residents to complete a bush fire survival plan and have strategies in place when the fire risk heightens or if a property is under threat.
Supt Baker said residents should prepare their property by removing flammable materials from their yards, clearing gutters of leaves, checking hoses and, where appropriate, conducting hazard reduction activities.
“While it is important to continue hazard reduction we have all seen the devastation that bush fires can bring to a community, so I strongly urge people to exercise caution when carrying out these activities,” Supt Baker said.
“Residents can ask their local Fire Control Centre for assistance in carrying out safe hazard reductions and for advice about whether they need a Bush Fire Hazard Reduction Certificate.
“With spring and summer conditions becoming more conducive to the spread of fire, people need to be extremely careful when using fire.
“Never leave a fire unattended and if a fire does escape, it is essential to call Triple Zero (000) immediately so that emergency services can respond accordingly and minimise the damage.”
On days declared a Total Fire Ban, all Bush Fire Hazard Reduction Certificates will be automatically revoked.
The Bureau of Meterology has predicted below average rainfall throughout spring with increasingly warmer days and nights and little of the wet stuff . This is reflective of record warm sea surface temperatures in the Indian Ocean, and the El Niño in the Pacific.