FLASHBACK to the Christmas holidays in 2019; immense heat and bushfires beginning to spread across the country.

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In the Myall Coast, smoke from fires in the surrounding suburbs meant that clear skies or beaches were nowhere to be seen.

According to the Word Wildlife Foundation, nearly three billion animals were killed or displaced in the 2019-20 bushfires, including: 143 million mammals, 2.46 billion reptiles, 180 million birds and 51 million frogs.

As well as this, 34 people were killed in the fires and over eighteen million hectares of land was destroyed.

Although the 2020-21 Summer season is not expected to be as cruel as the previous year, preparation has already begun to prevent another horrific summer season.

Christine Armour from Tea Gardens Fire and Rescue gave the advice, “To stay safe residents should clean out gutters to confirm that there is no leaf material in gutters.

“Combustible materials should not be near houses, including piles of logs that may have been stacked up for the winter.

“Gas bottles or any combustible chemicals including turpentine or paint thinners should not be stored near or underneath houses.

“If residents leave their house or property on a day where the fire danger is extremely high, windows should be shut to ensure that embers do not come into the house.”

Always follow the advice presented by local authorities and remain cautious of the dry heat this summer to protect yourself and the community from fires.

By Tara CAMPBELL