Extra dry conditions has prompted fire authorities to bring forward the start of the official bushfire season on the Far South Coast to September 1.
A lack of decent rain over winter has left the local landscape at dangerous levels for the Summer ahead.
NSW RFS Far South Coast District Manager Chris Anderson said excessive grass growth is a big issue.
“As we head towards the bushfire danger period, which starts on September 1, locally we’re seeing some really dry conditions through the landscape,” Mr Anderson said.
“Although over the weekend we’ve had minimal rain, which is great, but we certainly need more in the Bega Valley. We’ve got a lot of grass that’s cured through the grassland country and the bush is exceptionally dry for this time of the year. We just haven’t seen the normal rainfall that we generally see over the winter period and we’re starting to see some wind push through now.,” he said
“We don’t want to alarm people but we just want people to understand that there is a little bit of risk in the landscape. We want people to be really careful with fire at the moment.
“Now is a great time to start preparing as we head into the summer period with your bushfire danger period to start with your bushfire survival plans and getting your house home residents ready for the season ahead. If you haven’t done one or sit down over dinner over a cup of tea with your family and just review what you’ve had in previous years. Now is the time to do it. You don’t want to start doing this when there is smoke in the air because people just don’t think, um, what they normally would when when there’s already fire in the landscape. Now is a great time to do it. It doesn’t take long, but this can save you in the long term.”
