Smoke visible around Macmasters Beach on the weekend was from an National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) hazard reduction burn between Second Point and Little Beach, helping reduce bushfire risk for local community and the environment in Bouddi National Park.
Twenty four NPWS staff, including newly trained firefighters, thanks to the NSW Government’s boost to funding for hazard reduction and bushfire risk capability, completed the 22 hectares Mourawaring hazard reduction burn.
The new firefighters learned from their colleagues, some who have decades of experience in fire management, throughout the afternoon and during nigh-time patrols to ensure the burning was complete and no dangerous ‘hot spots’ remained.
The hazard reduction burn was next to another portion within Bouddi National Park that NPWS had treated by hazard reduction burn in 2019 to improve protection for the community of Macmasters Beach.
This section of the national park is home to many wildlife, including threatened species such as powerful owl, sooty owl, little bentwing bat and the gang gang cockatoo.
NPWS ranger, Vicki Elliott, a qualified ‘divisional commander’ and ‘burn planner’, was a sector leader for the burn was really pleased with how this burn went in.
“The conditions were near perfect for the light-up and the crews did an excellent job containing the fire throughout the day and carefully and progressively moved the fire through the landscape to also allow for wildlife to move out of harm’s way,” Vicki said.
The NPWS Incident Controller for the burn, Andrew Bayley, led the safety briefing at the beginning of the day, including ensuring the burn was undertaken in a COVID-19 safe way and to the NPWS’ stringent guidelines to ensure hazard reduction burns can continue to be undertaken to help protect the community from bushfire risk.
The burn was one of many the NPWS has underway, or planned across NSW, giving protection to local communities, infrastructure and the environment. NPWS works closely with RFS to deliver hazard reduction burning, with NPWS staff and RFS staff and volunteers working side by side.
Details on specific burns will be made available in advance on the Rural Fire Service website, ‘Fires Near Me’ app, and on NPWS Alerts website.
For health information relating to smoke from bush fires and hazard reduction burning, visit NSW Health or the Asthma Foundation.
For up to date information on these, and other, planned hazard reduction activities, visit the Rural Fire Service website.
