THE Hunter was spared the worst of unprecedented catastrophic fire conditions last week, but the message from those on the frontline is that a devastating bushfire season is only getting started and now is not the time to relax or become complacent.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
This NSW bushfire season has already burnt through more land than any other in the past 25 years, the NSW Rural Fire Service says, as residents are warned to heed a "wake-up call" for difficult days and months ahead.
Six lives and 530 homes have been lost since the season hit some weeks ago and the state faces at least two "tough days" this week, with temperatures likely to rise into the 40s and little to no rainfall. Stifling conditions are expected to return to the Hunter on Tuesday, with Singleton forecast to reach 39 degrees and Muswellbrook and Scone expected to hit 38 degrees.
There was an intense public focus on last Tuesday's unprecedented catastrophic fire danger and the RFS are cautioning those who came through those conditions unscathed not to relax or become complacent.
"Those thinking that thank God last week is over... it's only just the beginning," RFS Lower Hunter Superintendent Martin Siemsen said.
"We haven't even hit Summer yet. "We usually see our most dangerous fire ratings in February, but to see catastrophic and extreme fire danger ratings in November is a message that this is just the beginning and the fuels are only going to get drier."
There will be a total fire ban in effect in the Hunter on Tuesday and the region is one of five areas that will have a "severe" fire danger rating. There are a few bushfires from last week still burning in the Hunter under the control of the RFS and the massive Gospers Mountain fire, which originated in the Hawkesbury area and has now destroyed 122,912 hectares of bush, has spread north into Wollemi and Yengo National Parks.
Hunter Valley RFS crews are shoring up containment lines around Putty Road on the northern end of the Gospers Mountain blaze ahead of Tuesday's expected heatwave.
Hunter Valley RFS Inspector Ken Hepplewhite said preparation was the key ahead of another potentially volatile and dangerous week.
"The thing people need to bear in mind is that even though the catastrophic day is gone, we are still getting fairly extreme weather conditions and fire conditions on a daily basis," Inspector Hepplewhite said.
"People shouldn't be complacent about the upcoming weather, they should be mindful of the risks and have their bushfire plans in place.
"The conditions we are seeing are pretty much unprecedented as far as drought conditions and fire danger conditions."
The one "saving grace", Inspector Hepplewhite said, was that the winds were not expected to be as strong as last week, reducing the risk of out-of-control blazes.
RFS Deputy Commissioner Rob Rogers said since the start of the bushfire season some 1.6 million hectares of land has been lost - more land loss than the entire 1993/1994 season.
Firefighters are battling a firefront of some 6000km, the equivalent distance of a return Sydney-Perth trip, Mr Rogers said on Monday.
He said firefighters were "singularly focused" on preventing further loss of life and property and warned people to stay alert.
"Even though it's not a catastrophic danger [this week] it's still going to be bad fire days," Mr Rogers said.
"Tuesday and Thursday are going to be tough days."
He urged anyone who had not yet been affected by bushfires to "please use this as a wake-up call", warning them to take steps including cleaning out gutters and having a fire safety plan in place.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the past week was a reminder "the summer isn't going to be pleasant in terms of the bushfire risk".
"I ask everyone to maintain their vigilance," she said.
"While conditions have eased and we're relieved about that, there are some concerns conditions on Tuesday and Thursday in particular, and we ask people to continue to listen and watch and be aware of the alerts they might receive.
"What this has done is give a huge wake-up call to NSW. We're still in spring. "When temperatures rise in summer, we know that conditions are going to worsen."
