Illegal campfire emergency at Mount Keira during bushfire danger period

A bushwalker spotted the smouldering fire just before 8am near bushland at Mount Keira Ring Track and called triple-0 immediately.

"It was around one metre by one metre, but anything left unattended within the vicinity of bushland, with the winds we had overnight and the hot weather is a risk," NSW Rural Fire Service Illawarra district manager Martin Surrey said.

Read more: Fire ignites after wild winds bring tree down onto Helensburgh powerlines

Bushfire danger period started on October 1, with permits now needed for fires until March 31, 2024.

"Landowners and land managers are required to obtain a fire permit from their local RFS before lighting any fires, including hazard reduction burns," Superintendent Surrey said.

Read more: Medical incidents, but no beach rescues as Illawarra swelters

Fire permits are not required for fires for the purpose of heating or cooking, provided that the fire is: in a permanently constructed fireplace, at a site surrounded by ground that is cleared of all combustible materials for a distance of at least two metres all around.

Supt Surrey said despite the weekend's scorching weather, there was only one significant fire - a scrub fire in bushland off the northern end of Warilla Beach that ignited at 3.20pm on Sunday.

"Most people switch off and say 'it will never happen to me'," Former Fire and Rescue NSW Commissioner Greg Mullins said.

"Take it seriously. There's huge complacency, but also a growing attitude that the government has to do everything for everyone."

Know what the new fire danger rating ratings, and download the Hazards Near Me app.

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