A CARAVAN in flames and a blazing out-of-control rubbish burn kept fire crews busy this week in a “concerning” precursor to next month’s fire season.
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Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) Inspector Kernan Lambert has issued a warning to locals after the blazes threatened homes and machinery.
Just before 2pm on Wednesday, FRNSW crews were called to a caravan engulfed in flames at a residence in Sidlow Road.
Fire fighters were forced into the flames after the owner advised them a gas bottle was connected to the van.
“This was very hazardous but it was necessary to prevent an explosion,” Inspector Lambert said.
“In about another minute or two, the house would have been on fire as well.”
Due to the nature of the fire, crews were required to act with extreme caution as aluminium burns very fiercely.
“We had to be very careful how we put it out,” Inspector Lambert said.
“There were houses on either side which were in imminent danger and we weren’t sure whether anyone was in the van.”
The fire took about 15 minutes to extinguish and investigations are continuing into the cause of the fire.
Meanwhile on Tuesday, a burnoff at a Mackay Avenue property got out of control after strong winds and warm conditions fanned the flames.
A total of 12 FRNSW fire fighters were called to the site, where a 20-metre square, one-storey-high blaze was burning out of control.
A second pile of scrap metal was also on fire.
“Crews reported a very large column of black smoke which is always concerning and they required breathing apparatus to extinguish the fire,” Inspector Lambert said.
“They exhausted their water supplies and had to call for assistance.
“Due to the weather conditions, the fire spread and required a fairly aggressive attack.”
Firefighters took one hour to bring the inferno under control and another hour to extinguish it completely.
“What would have been a benign fire became intense because of the weather conditions, which were unseasonal for this time of year,” Inspector Lambert said.
“There were several large pieces of machinery that had to be protected.
“This is a timely reminder that fires can get out of control and residents within the town need permission from FRNSW before they can light any fires.” Inspector Lambert commended his team for their fast response, which enabled them to bring both potentially devastating fires under control.