Fire permit season starts early in Mid Coast District Myall Coast Myall Coast by News Of The Area - Modern Media - September 3, 2024 Firefighters from multiple brigades had to be activated to suppress the Pindimar fires in March. PERMITS will be legally required for all fires from Sunday 1 September within the Mid Coast District of the Rural Fire Service (RFS), kicking off the fire danger season a whole month earlier this year. A fire permit is required for burning activities during the ‘Bush Fire Danger Period’ in RFS districts, and at all times in Fire and Rescue districts around the state. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au “Fire permits help ensure fire is used safely and minimise the danger to you, your property, and the community,” a spokesperson for Pindimar/Tea Gardens RFS told NOTA. “If you’re planning to burn on your property, you need to let us know before you light up – it is easy enough, using the form available on the RFS website. “Unfortunately, there are some property owners who are simply immune to good advice and forethought, and think stupidly they can start fires, consequence-free. “The last time that happened, significant resources had to be diverted, including volunteers’ time and exposure to an unnecessary and hazardous situation, which took many days to finally extinguish.” Fires in Pindimar in March resulted in multiple brigades and a helicopter being called up to hold back a pile-burn that blew out of control, leaving residents of North Pindimar cut off. Pindimar and Bundabah are still among the highest-rated danger zones in the state. The RFS literature spells out four simple steps: 1. Confirm environmental approval 2. Seek a fire permit 3. Notify local RFS and/or Fire & Rescue NSW 4. Check if it is a ‘Total Fire Ban Day’ During the Fire Danger Period, all fires require a permit, and Total Fire Ban Days are frequent, especially towards the hotter months. The Mid Coast Bushfire Danger Period runs from 1 September to 31 March, unless advised differently by the NSW RFS. Fire and Rescue NSW’s first Hazard Reduction Burns are scheduled to take place this week along Toonang Drive, Shearwater. By Thomas O’KEEFE This raging inferno at Pindimar in March was started by an illegal and unreported fire.
