Total fire ban declared in Sydney and surrounding regions
A total fire ban has been declared for Sydney and surrounding regions today, Jan. 18. The ban suspends all fire permits due to hot and windy conditions.
Those who break the rule will face heavy penalties. “An on-the-spot fine fetches $2200, and fines for discarding lit cigarette butts increase on total fire ban days from $450 to $1320,” New South Wales Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said.
The NSW Rural Fire Service has announced which areas are covered by the total fire ban through its official Twitter page. The public is advised that the following places are covered by the ban.
1. Greater Sydney region (Very High) – All Sydney Metro Councils, Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Hawkesbury
2. Illawarra/Shoalhaven (Severe) - Kiama, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven, Wingecarribee, Wollondilly and Wollongong
3. Southern Ranges (Severe) - Queanbeyan-Palerang, Goulburn Mulwaree, Upper Lachlan and Yass Valley
4. Central Ranges (Severe) - Bathurst, Blayney, Cabonne, Cowra, Lithgow, Mid Western, Oberon and Orange
5. Southern Slopes (Severe) - Cootamundra-Gundagai, Hilltops and Snowy Valleys
Fitzsimmons has explained that the combination of strong winds, low humidity and high heat can pose a deadly bushfire risk. "When you have these hot, dry, windy conditions on top of a very dry landscape, which is what we have in NSW, you have a landscape that is very susceptible to fire," he said.
It its official website, the NSW RFS strongly recommends residents of areas covered by the total fire ban to reconsider activities that involve using a tractor or slashing. Electric barbeque can be utilised for cooking as long as it is under the direct control of a responsible adult. No combustible material is allowed within two metres at any time it is operating. Fire permits resume as soon as the total fire ban is lifted, as long as it has not expired.
