The Rural Fire Service is calling on all Clarence Valley residents to join RFS volunteer firefighters this Get Ready Weekend and prepare for the bush fire season.
Rural Fire Service Superintendent Stuart Watts said residents in the Clarence Valley area are invited to meet their local brigade and to find out how they can prepare themselves and their properties.
“Following years of wet weather and prolific vegetation growth, the risk of fire is returning along with drier and warmer conditions,” Superintendent Stuart Watts said.
“Get Ready Weekend is an opportunity for Clarence Valley residents to do their bit to prepare and protect their family and properties in the event of a fire.”
Superintendent Watts said there are five simple steps you can take to reduce your bush fire risk, like clearing flammable items from around your home and mowing your lawns.
- Trim overhanging trees and shrubs.
- Mow grass and remove the cuttings. Have a cleared area around your home.
- Remove material that can burn around your home (e.g., door mats, wood piles, mulch)
- Clear and remove all the debris and leaves from the gutters surrounding your home.
- Prepare a sturdy hose or hoses that will reach all around your home.
“It’s likely bush fires haven’t been at the front of mind these last few years, so now is the time for residents to start thinking about what they need to do to get ready,” Supt Watts said.
“Preparing for bush fires is easier than people may think.
“Have a five-minute conversation and ask yourself if threatened by fire, when will you go, what will you take and where will you go?
“We’ve seen the devastating consequences that bush fires can have, so it’s important that people right across the Clarence Valley area live bush fire ready – by knowing their risk, having a plan, and getting ready.”
This year’s Get Ready Weekend is on September 16-17 with more than 590 community events right across the state.
If you can’t make it to an event this, Get Ready Weekend, you can always find out more about making a bush fire survival plan at www.myfireplan.com.au
Local events
September 22 – Copmanhurst, Sport and recreation reserve, Clarence Way, 9am till 3pm.
September 24 – Trenayr, 119 Red Lane, Trenayr, 9am till 3pm.
Wooloweyah, Ford Park, Yamba, 7am till 2pm.
September 30 – Woombah, Woombah Park, Iluka Road, 9am till 2pm.