A scrub fire has broken out at a property on Grey Gum Rd, South Arm, around five kilometres from High St, Bowraville.
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Fire services responded to the call of five hectares of bush on fire approximately two hours ago.
Fire and Rescue crews from Bowraville and Macksville, along with four RFS units have just contained the blaze, according to Fire and Rescue NSW Duty Commander North Coast Tony Lenthall.
A eucalypt remains alight on the property and crews are working to fell the tree.
The great old Australian eucalypts can sometimes act like a roman candle, staying alight for days on end. So to reduce spotting throughout the night we’re waiting on a specialist operation to bring the tree down.
- Zone Manager for the Lower North Coast, Superintendent Lachlann Ison
An earlier blaze at Eungai has just been extinguished.
Crews have been working since 11.15am to contain the 29 hectare fire in bushland along Tamban Rd.
Supt Ison said the blaze was caused by a “pile burn that got away”.
Duty Cmdr Lenthall said it’s been an “unusually busy” time for Fire and Rescue units in the Nambucca Valley this winter, with a higher than normal rate of call-outs for bush and grass fires.
“Drought conditions and early morning frost killing off vegetation has contributed to more fuel closer to town,” he said.
“The westerly winds we’ve had this last week have been keeping conditions mild, but also having the effect of drying out vegetation further.”
But Supt Ison said it hasn’t been that much busier for RFS units in the Macleay and Nambucca bush regions.
“Last year was probably busier; in August a strong wind took off and started our fire season pretty early,” he said.
While conditions are dry across NSW, the coastal areas have still received a significant amount of rain this winter, and so he believes earlier restrictions on burnoffs aren’t necessary.
“It’s always a balancing act, but this year we made the decision to start our Bush Fire Danger Period from September 1,” he said.
“We’re full steam ahead on hazard reduction burns with another one starting out at Valla tomorrow.
“But the message I’d like to get across is that people should recognise how dry it is. Put the correct clearances in place. Don’t burn on a windy day. Know your limitations and always stay with your burn.”