Lynne Mowbray | With temperatures on the rise and the strong winds over recent days, it’s a timely reminder to prepare ourselves for the upcoming fire season. Clarence Valley Rural Fire Service (RFS) District Manager Stuart Watts said a lot of hazard reduction has taken place in the lead up to the fire season. “Hazard reduction is not only in the form of burning; hazard reduction is also in the form of mechanically reducing fuels around villages, by slashing and mowing which is undertaken by the agencies such as council and National Parks,” Mr Watts said. “Whereas you may not have seen much smoke around; other works have also been undertaken. “The RFS has a risk management plan in place that prioritises where hazard reduction works takes place. “Our volunteer workforce in our brigades do hazard reductions when are where they can; subject to weather and availability. “A lot of hazard reduction has taken place in the Clarence Valley over the last number of years” he said. Mr Watts said that there are a number of things that the community can also do to ensure that their property is properly protected. “Residents need to reduce fuels and have a defendable space around their homes,” Mr Watts said. “Remove stuff around the house that’s not warranted any more, such as piles of timber that might be stacked up through the winter. “Remove any objects that are quite flammable sitting around on the verandah or porch. Board up under the house so that sparks and embers can’t enter under the house. “Metal flyscreens attached to the windows will prevent embers entering the house. “It’s important to have a bushfire survival plan. Maybe sit down with the family and neighbours and go through the motions of what you’re going to do and how you’re going to go about it. “Detection – If you see a fire that shouldn’t be there and it’s not attended by somebody or a fire vehicle, report it to 000. Likewise if you see any suspicious activity going on in the bush that may lead to a fire, well pass that information on to the police. “People should be aware of what’s going on in the area and the RFS has a number of applications that people may be able to download or have a look at. “The RFS website is a fairly detailed website which provides fire danger ratings for the day and it can also give you an indication of where fires are burning around the state. “The RFS’s ‘Fires Near Me’ app can be downloaded free of charge on any smart phone and can give you some timely advice and tips what to do, should a fire be burning in your area,” he said.