THE official bushfire danger period for Lake Macquarie and the Central Coast has been brought forward a month, and will start on September 1.
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Superintendent Paul Jones, the NSW Rural Fire Service’s district manager for the Central Coast, said the warning signs were evident.
“The early start for the bushfire danger period is as a result of the current drought conditions and elevated fire risk being experienced across the state and in the local government areas of the Central Coast and Lake Macquarie,” Superintendent Jones said.
“This action to bring forward the official bushfire danger period is being taken to better manage the fires being lit in the open, for legitimate reasons, and to mitigate potential fire escapes.”
The official bushfire danger period will run from Septermber 1, to March 31.
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During that period fire safety permits will be required for open burning activities, including pile burning, and hazard reduction burning.
“Significant penalties apply to those who light fires in the open without a permit, without providing the mandatory notice, or for allowing a fire to escape your property,” Superintendent Jones said.
Offences under the Rural Fires Act 1997 include fines of more than $1100 for failing to notify authorities prior to lighting, or lighting fires that are dangerous to buildings.
Unlawfully leaving a fire unattended before being extinguished attracts a potential fine of $2200.
Fire safety permits are free, and can be obtained by contacting the local fire brigade or fire control centre, and are an additional requirement to environmental approvals that are required all year round.
On Saturday, August 4, the Central Coast and Lake Macquarie got an alarming preview to the kind of bushfire threat that the area could face in spring in summer.
In that incident, a grass fire roared through 360 hectares of dry bushland at Doyalson and Wyee.
Residents in those towns, and in Blue Haven, endured an anxious weekend as dozens of NSW Rural Fire Service and Fire and Rescue NSW crews battled the blaze.
Fire crews implemented a back-burning strategy which helped to save homes from the danger. A telecommunications tower at Wyee was also protected from damage.
Wyee Road was blocked to traffic in both directions at the height of the danger.
NSW Rural Fire Service district assistant for the Central Coast, Stuart O’Keefe, said it was unusual to see such a ferocious blaze at the start of August.
Mr O’Keefe urged locals to ensure that they had a bushfire survival plan. The four simple steps involved in making such a plan are explained at rfs.nsw.gov.au
