The unusually warm and dry winter across much of NSW has prompted the Rural Fire Service to bring forward the official start to the fire season for nine local government areas, including the Blue Mountains.
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The Bush Fire Danger Period, which requires people to obtain a permit before lighting a fire, will start on September 1 in 28 local government areas, 19 of which permanently start on that date. Six separate areas already start their season from August.
The areas being brought forward this year are Warrumbungle, Gilgandra, Mid-Western Regional Council, Port Macquarie-Hastings, Mid-Coast, Bathurst, Oberon, Lithgow and Blue Mountains.
"Last week we saw a hint of the conditions the upcoming season may bring, with firefighters responding to 612 bush/grass fires that burnt 21,239 hectares, including three Watch and Act fires that threatened homes in Kempsey, Port Macquarie and Port Stephens," RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said in a statement.
As Fairfax Media reported earlier this month, fuel moisture levels in the Blue Mountains, Wollemi and the far south coast were down at levels that had been associated with big fires over the past couple of decades.
While not implying fires will necessarily happen, the data collected by the University of Wollongong points to the elevated risks as spring approaches.
The Bureau of Meteorology outlook for the rest of August indicates winter will end on an unseasonably dry note for most of NSW. The outlook for spring is also for relatively warm conditions to continue across the state, although the forecast for rain suggest falls may be closer to average.
The state's remaining 95 local government areas will enter the statutory fire danger period on October 1, the RFS says.
"While hazard reductions are an important part of preparations, landholders need to be extremely careful as warmer conditions mean fire can spread quickly and suddenly," Mr Fitzsimmons said.
"Never leave a fire unattended and, if a fire does escape, make sure you call Triple Zero immediately so that emergency services can respond and minimise the damage."
Spring is often the main fire season for Sydney when north-westerly winds typically bring warm, dry air from the inland. These tend to intensify and temperatures rise ahead of the arrival of strong cold front that also shifts the wind direction.
The RFS said the areas given an early start to the fire season this year are in some cases further south than in 2013, when the fire threat was of a similar level.
(See RFS chart below, noting that some regional boundaries have been changed because of council amalgations.)
