Anyone planning to light a fire out in the open must obtain a fire permit from their local Fire Control Centre.

While the statutory Bush Fire Danger Period runs from 1 October to 31 March, dry, hot and windy conditions in the region have caused the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) to bring the danger period forward to September 1 for North Coast areas.

The fire danger rating currently sits at ‘High’ for Kempsey, Nambucca, Bellingen, Coffs Harbour, Gloucester, Greater Taree, Great Lakes and Port Macquarie-Hastings areas.

Authorities expect this season’s danger period will be similar to the last one with dry and windy conditions proving problematic.

Earlier this year, devastating fires tore through local areas including Dondingalong and Kempsey while houses were also lost in Pappinbarra and Stuarts Point fires. 

NSW RFS spokesman Lachlann Ison said the RFS has been preparing for the danger season by conducting operational training, reviewing equipment and carrying out hazard reduction burning.

The RFS relies predominantly on calls through Triple Zero (000) for notification about unfolding fires while aircraft assets such as helicopters play a role in monitoring new fire events.

There are a number of key steps local residents should take to prepare for the Bush Fire Danger Period.

The Bush Fire Survival Plan can be downloaded from the RFS website here.

Residents should decide whether they will leave their property in the event of a threatening bush fire (safest option) or stay and defend the property, in which case the household needs to be well-prepared.

All properties should be well-equipped with basic firefighting equipment including an easily-accessible hose, significant water supply, ladders, buckets, shovels or metal rakes.

To make property safer, residents should trim overhanging trees and shrubs, mow grass, remove easily flammable material from around the home such as doormats or woodpiles, clear gutters and prepare a hose that will reach around the property.

Rural property owners should remove overhanging branches from power lines, ensure a fire tanker can get to your property, clear paddock boundaries, store flammable material away from the house, place water pipes from dams underground and install a pump to the house, keep water tanks full and connect them to pumps.

Locals should regularly monitor the ‘Fires Near Me’ app to keep track of any nearby fires.

In an emergency, residents should call Triple Zero (000).

Meanwhile, if locals become extremely concerned about the threat of a fire to property they should call the Bush Fire Information Line on 1800 679 737.