Smoke will be visible across the northern Illawarra from Friday, as firefighters take advantage of cooler conditions to conduct hazard reductions burns in at-risk bushland.
Firefighters will light up 55 hectares of land in three separate hazard reduction (HR) burns in Heathcote and Bangor.
The first HR will start on Friday, October 13, with the others to commence on Saturday, details include:
- Yala Road, Bangor - 18 hectares. Starts at 3pm on Friday
- Baines Place, Helensburgh - 23 hectares. Starts at 9am on Saturday
- Yates Road, Bangor - 14 hectares. Starts at 9am on Saturday
Each burn is expected to last one day, but firefighters will continue to patrol each area for two or three days, depending on the weather.
"Hazard reduction is just one way of preparing for bushfires - it doesn't remove the threat of fire, and it doesn't remove the need for you and your family to be prepared," the NSW Rural Fire Service said.
"There are different types of hazard reduction including controlled burning, mechanical clearing like slashing undergrowth, or even reducing the ground fuel by hand."
If you seen an unattended fire, call triple-0 immediately to report it.
If there is a hazard reduction burn planned for your area, take the following steps:
- Keep doors and windows closed to prevent smoke entering homes
- Keep outdoor furniture under cover to prevent ember burns
- Retract pool covers to prevent ember damage
- Remove washing from clotheslines
- Ensure pets have a protected area
- Vehicles must slow down, keep windows up, turn headlights on
- Sightseers must keep away from burns for their own safety
- If you have asthma or a lung condition, reduce outdoor activities if smoke levels are high and if shortness of breath or coughing develops, take your reliever medicine or seek medical advice
Stay up-to-date on the Hazards Near Me app, review your bushfire survival plan and know what you will do if a fire threatens.
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Nadine Morton
Breaking news journalist at the Illawarra Mercury. Email: nadine.morton@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Breaking news journalist at the Illawarra Mercury. Email: nadine.morton@austcommunitymedia.com.au
