Residents urged to be fire prepared this summer
Published Date: 28 Sep 2014
Summary
ORANA residents have been sent a stern message to prepare their properties ahead of the fire season so lives are not put in danger.
NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) Orana team manager Lyndon Wieland said lives came before property.
"My plea to the public is: help us help you," he said.
Orana RFS Community Safety Officer Kennedy Tourle checks on equipment ahead of the fire season. Photo: BELINDA SOOLE
"If your property's not prepared and it's dangerous to send a vehicle in there, we won't do it.
"We're not saying we won't fight fires, but I can't risk firefighters' lives to send them in to protect a property where the effort hasn't been made to protect it in the pre-season.
"People need to remove any excess vegetation. If you had firewood stacked up in winter, remove it.
"Get rid of anything that will catch on fire, clean the gutters out and have a bushfire survival plan in place.
"And if you are living on lifestyle acreage, you need to slash or graze that vegetation now so a fast-running fire doesn't go through on a bad day."
From October 1, permits were required to maintain a fire in the open.
Superintendent Wieland said he believed the coming fire season would be "average" but that certainly meant there would be fires and "on those bad days the fires will run hard".
"We haven't had an abundance of rain through spring and it has been a bit drier than normal," he said.
As per usual, Superintendent Wieland said, the pre-season processes of updating operational plans and contact lists had taken place.
"And all of our tankers have been through the normal servicing and have been tested, ready to go," he said.
Hazard reduction had been ongoing, Superintendent Wieland said.
"There are some areas still to do but the weather hasn't been that kind to us in those areas, too wet to do anything then too risk to light up, particularly in timbered areas where it can burn away for weeks."
The Orana RFS has also taken delivery of a new piece of equipment just in time to tackle blazes this bushfire season.
The Blazetamer 380 fast fill gel pump system, designed especially for use in aerial fighting of bushfires, was purchased with an NRMA Insurance community grant awarded to the local firefighting operation.
Meanwhile, residents were being warned against lighting unauthorised fires.
"Fines have been doubled and in some cases you can be imprisoned," Superintendent Wieland said.
