RFS Asks For Vigilance After Bushfire In Cowra Shire

The NSW Rural Fire Service have asked local landholders to remain vigilant on bushfires, after the first large bushfire of the season started near Cowra on Thursday.

The fire had burned through 320 hectares of land on Conimbla Road, near the Conimbla National Park, northwest of Cowra, in the Cowra Shire, at the time of writing.

While the fire was originally out of control, expanding from 50 hectares at its first report to over 200 hectares in a matter of hours, it was contained and brought under control on Thursday night.

Although the fire did not pose an urgent threat to lives or property, a NSW RFS spokesperson said it served as a reminder for landholders to ensure they had a bushfire survival plan, with two straight years of above average rainfall causing complacency.

“There is a lot of fuel in the landscape after back to back La Nina’s’, they said.

“Landholders need to make sure they have fire-breaks in place at their properties.”

“www.rfs.nsw.gov.au is the best source of information to create a bushfire survival plan. Download and complete the guide and you will have the information you need to do this and protect your property.”

They also encouraged locals to do the basic fire protection activities, including clearing house gutters and removing dead leaves.

The former ‘Fires near Me’ app has now been updated and renamed to ‘Hazards Near Me’, covering all forms of natural disasters including both fires and floods.

The spokesperson encouraged all locals to download this app to access the most up to date information on bushfires this bushfire season.

On Friday, local RFS crews established a backburn at the north eastern edge of the Conimbla Road fire, which helped contain it on Thursday night, in addition to battling the blaze on the ground and water bombing it from the air.

Crews on Friday were working on another backburn at the western edge of the fire near Conimbla National Park to contain it further, while maintaining water bombing and extinguishing on the ground.

• Topics:
• Bush Fires