Do you know the new bushfire danger levels?

BUSHFIRE severity ratings have recently changed, after 50 years of the previous system, with the new warnings focused on four separate categories under the nationwide Australian Fire Danger Rating System.

GREEN – MODERATE

• Plan and prepare
• Stay up to date and be ready to act if there is a fire.

YELLOW – HIGH

• Be ready to act
• There’s a heightened risk. Be alert for fires in your area. Decide what you will do if a fire starts. Your life and property may be at risk if a fire starts – the safest option is to avoid bushfire risk areas.

ORANGE – EXTREME

• Take action now to protect your life and property
• These are dangerous fire conditions. Check your bushfire plan and ensure that your property is fire ready. If a fire starts, take immediate action. If you and your property are not prepared to the highest level, go to a safer location well before the fire impacts. Reconsider any planned travel through bushfire areas.

RED – CATASTROPHIC

• For your survival, leave bushfire risk areas
• These are the most dangerous conditions for a fire. Your life may depend on the decisions you make, even before there is a fire. Stay safe by going to a more secure location early in the morning or the night before. Homes cannot withstand fires in these conditions. You may not be able to leave, and help may not be available.

TOTAL FIRE BANS

• Fire danger ratings and Total Fire Bans are determined by the Rural Fire Service each afternoon for the following day.
• On days of elevated fire danger, a Total Fire Ban may be declared. During a Total Fire Ban, individuals cannot light, maintain, or use a fire in the open, or carry out any activity in the open if that causes, or is likely to cause, a fire.

 

Central and south-east NSW most at risk this summer

NEW South Wales has experienced mixed rainfall throughout winter and spring, and mean temperatures for April to October have been the third highest on record since 1910.
Due to existing dryness, above average temperatures, higher than normal grass fuel loads and a mixed rainfall outlook, areas of central northern and central southern NSW are predicted to see above normal fire potential this summer.

In some areas, rainfall hindered burning efforts and encouraged grass growth. Meanwhile, other areas received much lower rainfall than normal, leaving them dry and, in some cases, even drought-affected.

While some parts of the state are forecast to receive more rain than usual this summer, this forecast could change.
This uncertainty, combined with forecasts for higher (than average) temperatures, means there is significant risk that the forecast rainfall will not address all the areas that are currently experiencing dry conditions.

Areas around Deniliquin, Hillston, Walgett and Coonamble have higher than normal grass fuel loads. Grasses in these areas are already dry (cured) and are predicted to see above normal fire potential this summer.

Elsewhere in the state, existing conditions and a forecast for above normal rainfall is expected to provide the usual fire risk.
Parts of south-east NSW (including the South Coast, Monaro and Southern Ranges) have seen lower than average rainfall over the past few months. There remains a danger that, if they do not see forecast rainfall, forests in these areas could become dry enough to fuel fast-moving, damaging fires.

Similarly, in other areas west of the Great Dividing Range, grass fuel loads remain high due to favourable growing conditions.
If these grasses dry out and cure over summer, a combination of high fuel loads and cured grass could also pose a risk for quickly moving, intense grass fires, particularly during middle to late summer.

Improved emergency apps available now for country nsw residents

 

GETTING caught unprepared in a natural disaster such as a bushfire can be terrifying, but some simple precautionary actions can be taken with the help of emergency information phone apps from the NSW Government. Two apps in particular are regarded as potentially life-saving additions to your phone: the Hazards Near Me NSW app and the Emergency Plus app, both instantly available to download free through the website, nsw.gov.au/GetReadyNSW.

With information sourced directly from emergency service authorities, and replacing the previous Fires Near Me NSW app, the Hazards Near Me NSW app is a gateway to reliable emergency updates on bushfires and floods in regional areas. The Hazards Near Me NSW app provides information about local bushfires, fire danger ratings, fire bans and hazard reductions. If you are caught up in an emergency, time and location accuracy are critical, which is where the Emergency Plus app comes in.

This app gives your precise location to emergency services, using three unique words and a tool to help you ring Triple Zero (0Triple Zero00) quickly.

 

You need a bushfire survival plan now

DID you know that since July 1, the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) has already responded to 3860 bush and grass fires around the state?That statistic is a timely reminder of the need for residents to consider their readiness to meet the dangers of this current bushfire season.

A further sobering fact is that, following years of wet weather, the state is currently facing its worst grass fire risk in two decades.
RFS research shows that only about 70 per cent of people living in bushfire risk areas have an emergency plan, and of those, only half have actually enacted it.
There can never be a fire truck at every home, which is why the RFS asks everyone to have a plan in place and know what they will do if threatened by fire.

The most important thing every family can do is have that five-minute conversation about important decisions, such as when to leave and what to take in a fire emergency.
Take the simple steps to prepare your property, for example removing flammable materials from yards, clearing gutters, and checking that water hoses will reach all round the house.
For those areas now in the Bush Fire Danger Period, you will nnoweed to obtain a permit and notify neighbours and the local fire authority 24 hours in advance of lighting up.

Further information on improving readiness, and creating your personal safety plan, can be accessed through the website: rfs.nsw.gov.au.

 

Floods, fires and thunderstorms: SES urges preparedness across NSW this summer

THE NSW State Emergency Service (SES) is urging residents to stay alert to hazards this summer.
Bushfires, severe thunderstorms and flash flooding have battered the state in recent years, keeping SES volunteers busy clearing fallen trees, repairing leaking roofs, and sandbagging.
Acting Assistant Commissioner Paul McQueen pointed to recent storms and the dangers associated with floodwaters to underscore his point, particularly the risks of driving through them.
“The message is simple: never drive, ride, or play in floodwaters. By doing this, you are saving our volunteers from being put in harm’s way,” he said.
The Bureau of Meteorology has warned of above-average rainfall throughout December, with widespread rain, showers and thunderstorms expected into next week, increasing the risk of flash flooding and rising rivers.

Travellers and residents in low-lying areas are being urged to plan ahead.
“With more rainfall predicted over the summer period, travellers heading to caravan parks and resorts in low-lying areas should have a plan and prepare for possible heavy rain, which can lead to flash flooding and riverine rises,” MrActing Assistant Commissioner McQueen said.
He also warned about hidden dangers in floodwaters, including debris, wildlife, chemicals and sewage.
“You don’t know what condition the road underneath the water is in and [you] can’t see hidden obstacles and debris under the surface,” he said.

The NSW SES recommends downloading the Hazards Near Me app for real-time alerts about local hazards.
“During holiday periods, it’s crucial for those unfamiliar with their surroundings to use the Hazards Near Me app,” Mr McQueen said.
“Set a watch zone for your holiday destination to receive alerts about storms, floods, and other hazards, and know how to stay safe.”
Residents needing assistance during floods, storms or tsunamis should call the NSW SES on 132 500. For life-threatening emergencies, dial Triple Zero (000).

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