Drones have helped dozens of firefighters safely carry out a hazard reduction burn near the Garrawarra aged care facility in Helensburgh on Wednesday.
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Smoke filled the air as Rural Fire Service and Fire and Rescue NSW crew members from various stations burnt 60 hectares of bushland in an effort to protect the area before the summer fire season starts.
RFS Illawarra district officer David Hitchens said the burn would continue until the end of the week.
He said the area around the aged care facility had to be burned so if a fire ignited in the area during summer, then firefighters would be in a better position to protect the residents and staff who would have to remain there and shelter.
"The hazard reduction will also provide some protection to the M1 Princes Motorway," Mr Hitchens said. "If we had a fire in the area then at least we know it would be slowed before it reaches the motorway.
"It also helps protect the township of Helensburgh."
Fire and Rescue NSW's bushfire and aviation officer for southern NSW Greg Rood was on site assisting the RFS with incident management, lighting and drones surveillance.
"The drones do intelligence and reconnaissance work," he said. "The drone operator flies the machine over the burn plot before ignition takes place to check for any hazards, risks or squatters.
"We then monitor the ignitions on the ground, watch to see how the fires are developing and we can provide tactical advice if plans have to be adapted on the day.
"The drones are like having tactical eyes on the ground and in the sky at the same time.
"The drones assisted us greatly during the summer bushfires."
Mr Hitchens said the drone showed firefighters thermal images and gave direct vision of the fire in real time.
"We can see the fire depth and pick up if there has been a spot fire," he said. "It is another tool in our toolbox."
Mr Hitchens said RFS were taking advantage of the favourable conditions in May rather than having to conduct hazard reduction burns in summer, when there was a greater chance of a blaze getting out of control.
"Cooler conditions allow us to carry out less-intense burns so we are then able to maintain the integrity of the vegetation surrounding the burn area; we are not as worried about spot fires taking hold or the fire jumping out of containment," he said.
The hazard reduction burn is done by igniting the edge of the perimetre or where there is a break in bushland, then the firefighters let the fire burn into the bush.
"We then work around the fire to maintain it," Mr Hitchens said. "We mop up the edges with hoses so it does not jump out of the perimetre."
RFS undertake the hazard reduction operations because they reduce the intensity or capacity for fire to run through areas on extreme fire danger days.
"It does not burn the canopy of trees but rather is aimed at reducing the fuel on the ground," Mr Hitchens said.
"It is extremely beneficial for the community and helps to keep firefighters safe as fires are not as intense."
Hazard reduction operations are carried out in the Helensburgh and northern suburbs of the Illawarra because there is an extreme risk of bushfires igniting in the dense bushland.
Smoke is expected to linger around the Helensburgh area in coming days and could be blow down towards Wollongong.
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