A BLAZE in the Sunny Corner State Forest came within one kilometre of a home before being brought under control by firefighters yesterday afternoon.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The fire was reported at 12.10pm just as a westerly wind gusted up to 44km/h and the temperature was 17 degrees.
NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) and Forestry Corporation of NSW firefighters rushed to extinguish the blaze.
RFS Chifley/Lithgow district officer Gary Hansen said that by mid-afternoon, the mild conditions had ensured the firefighters could quickly contain the blaze.
“It’s around 100 metres long and half a hectare in size ... it’s not expected to impact any properties,” he said.
Late yesterday, Forestry Corporation of NSW fire manager Dan Kirby said it was too early to determine the damaged caused.
“I don’t know at this stage if there’s been any significant damage,” he said.
He was unaware if the fire had been burning through pine or native forests.
RFS fire mitigation officer Rebecca Phillips said all RFS crews had returned to the station by 4.30pm, leaving Forestry crew to ensure all embers had been extinguished.
“It was a reasonably small fire, but with the wind out there anything has the potential to get bigger,” she said.
Yesterday’s fire came just 24 hours after a wild wind storm swept through Bathurst, highlighting the weather extremes that make it difficult for firefighters to predict fire risk and behaviour.
RFS Chifley/Lithgow team manager superintendent Tom Shirt said Monday’s wind storm had firefighters on the lookout for blazes started by dry lightning strikes.
“What we are experiencing is more extremes from one extreme to another,” Superintendent Shirt said.
“It makes it harder to predict ... it’s very difficult when things would gradually warm up, we have one hot day and the next day will be cold.”
Since the official bushfire season began on October 1, Bathurst has recorded 22 days above the long-term average maximum for October of 19.9 degrees.
Superintendent Shirt said some areas around Bathurst had started to dry out and the prediction was for a drier than usual fire season.
“Bathurst is still pretty good, but it won’t take long in this sort of weather and the wind for it to cure off,” he said.
“At this stage we’re not that concerned about the grasslands when they cure off, but the bushland will always burn.”
