Bush fire danger period starts

The Bush fire Danger period on the NSW Central Coast started on October 1, with a 24 hour ban on the lighting of all fires and a call for householders to reduce the risk facing their property.

Wyong Shire Council recently combined with the NSW Rural Fire Service and the NSW Fire Brigade to prepare bush fire safety guidelines for property owners.

See the guidelines

The statutory Bush Fire Danger Period runs until the end of March, however this may be varied owning to local conditions. If you are planning to light a fire in the open in this time, you need a permit

Shane Geerin from the NSW Rural Fire Service at Wyong, said the best defences against bush fire were preparation and planning.

“A lot of the work that goes into preparing a property for a bush fire needs to be done well ahead of a blaze occurring,” Inspector Geerin said.

“Preparing a property is not difficult and once done is easy to maintain”.

When maintaining their property, residents should remove excess fuel by:

• Clearing gutters of leaf litter
• Mowing long and/or dry grass
• Pruning low tree branches two metres from the ground
• Tidying the woodpile, leaves, bark and branches
• Sweeping and raking up plant material
• Recycling paper, cardboard and unused chemicals
• Cleaning under the house

Residents need to consider safety measures such as:

• Firmly fixing roofing so hot embers cannot enter the roof
• Installing screens or shutters to windows, and enclosing underfloor areas
• Ensuring the direct relief valve on LPG tanks points away from house
• Positioning a portable pump near a large water source
• Installing a gate valve on water tanks (65mm Storz coupling)
• Preparing firebreaks around the home

For additional information about fire safety or obtaining a permit, see the NSW Rural Fire Service call (02) 43936222

Media contact: Ian Roberts (02) 4350 5525 or 0408 967 236 or Shane Geerin 43936222

Page last updated: 30/09/09