Field Officer Ron Rutter conducts a hazard reduction burn similar to the one being conducted in Kosciuszko National Park. Photo: Pat Keegan.
Senior Field Officer Stephen Moore assisting with hazard reduction burning similar to the one being conducted in Kosciuszko National Park.
THE NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) are conducting hazard reduction burning of about 3,441 hectares at Kosciuszko National Park around Paupong and along the Snowy River - and residents are advised to take precautions against fire and smoke.
Two blocks of hazard reduction burning in the region will together reduce fuel loads to protect grazing land and properties in the Paupong and Numbla Areas.
The burns are designed to reduce the fuel load, thus reducing the intensity of any future fires.
NPWS helicopters and ground crews are conducting the burns if forecasted conditions remain favourable.
Every effort is made to minimise the impact of smoke, however take basic precautions and drive to the conditions. The risk to properties during these burns will be low, however to ensure your property is well prepared:
* Remove leaf litter from gutters.
* Ensure pets are secure within your property and have an area that provides protection for them.
* Close all windows and remove washing from clothes lines.
* Stay well clear of fire operations during the burn.
* If you have asthma or a lung condition it is recommended that you stay inside or leave the area during the burn.
Prescribed burning is the use of planned fire to protect life, property and the environment by reducing fuel levels and maintaining the health of plants and animals.
Between July 1, 2012, and February 28, 2013, NPWS completed 136 prescribed burns, treating an area of 36,576 hectares.
At end of January 2013 (from July 1 2012), NPWS had achieved over 69 per cent of all hazard reduction burning effort in NSW, despite only managing 9 per cent of the state's land, of which a quarter is the most bushfire prone land in NSW.
This hazard reduction program is part of the NSW Government's $62 million package to boost bushfire preparedness and just one of many undertaken by NPWS across NSW.
Read more about hazard reduction burns planned in your area: http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/
