Update received from Hawkesbury FCC

On Sunday 23rd Nov, the Hawkesbury experienced a number of lightning strikes as a result of storms moving over the area resulting in three fires in the northern part of the District. 
Since the fires were detected up to ten aircraft per day have been involved in water bombing operations with volunteers from Colo Heights providing fire protection for refuelling operations at the NPWS depot airbase. 
NSW RFS and NPWS Remote Area Fire Fighting teams have worked in difficult conditions to contain the fires. These crews were supported by volunteers manning the newly acquired Bulk Water Carriers from the Hawkesbury and Cumberland Zone. 

Containing these fires quickly was a priority before they posed a threat to a number of isolated communities. 

Well done and thank you for all those who have assisted, and continue to assist, in the firefighting effort

The NSW Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) has declared a number of Local Government Areas (LGAs) across the State will begin their bush fire season one month early, due to forecast dry conditions.

After careful consideration and assessment of current and forecast conditions, the Bush Fire Danger Period (BFDP) will commence in 23 LGAs on 1 September, 2014. Twenty two LGAs in the State's north east commenced the BFDP on 1 August, 2014. 


As of 1 September, the BFDP will be in effect for a total of 55 LGAs across NSW. The full list of LGAs is available on our Bush Fire Danger Period and Fire Permits page. The Bureau of Meteorology has advised the recent rain will only provide a temporary reprieve to the prevailing dry conditions across the State.

NSW RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said the weather outlook through to November indicates drier than average conditions across central and southern NSW and warmer than normal temperatures for all but the northwest areas of the State.

"Whilst the recent heavy rain across the State has provided firefighters with a welcome reprieve from fighting bush fires, the Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting below average rainfall for September," Commissioner Fitzsimmons said.

"In fact, despite the downpours which have occurred during the past fortnight, a large area of NSW has still only received 60 per cent or less of average rainfall since 1 January.

"The Bureau of Meteorology also advises an El Nino event may influence the bush fire season, producing hotter and drier conditions."

Commissioner Fitzsimmons warned the community against allowing the recent rain to make them complacent to bush fire danger.

"Let's not forget that at the beginning of August, volunteers were fighting more than 90 fires simultaneously, including those which destroyed five homes in the Clarence Valley and Kempsey," Commissioner Fitzsimmons said.

"All it will take is a few weeks of warm weather and we will again be contending with dry landscapes."

During the BFDP, landowners and managers must obtain a free permit from their local NSW RFS Fire Control Centre before conducting hazard reduction burns.

Commissioner Fitzsimmons said anyone planning to conduct a private burn should contact their local Fire Control Centre first, as permits may be suspended at short notice due to weather conditions.

"In addition, people living in or around bush or grass land areas should download a Bush Fire Survival Plan from the NSW RFS website and fill it in, as well as having a discussion with their family about what they will do in the event of a fire," Commissioner Fitzsimmons said.

"People should also be preparing their properties, which means clearing gutters, maintaining gardens and checking equipment such as hoses, pumps and generators."

The statutory BFDP for NSW begins on 1 October 2014 and ends on 31 March 2015.

The LGAs commencing the BFDP on 1 September are:

• Bega Valley
• Blacktown
• Camden
• Campbelltown
• Blue Mountains
• Eurobodalla
• Fairfield
• Gunnedah
• Hawkesbury
• Kiama
• Liverpool
• Liverpool Plains
• Muswellbrook
• Penrith
• Shellharbour
• Shoalhaven
• Singleton
• Sutherland
• Tamworth
• Upper Hunter
• Wingecarribbee
• Wollondilly
• Wollongong

To all our members who are volunteering to help with the bike ride.

Please note we will be holding a bike ride briefing on Wednesday 30th April, 7:30pm at St Albans Fire Shed. If you are volunteering but unable to attend the briefing please call or email Bruce on

 4568 2075 or email mulberyhillbj@bigpond.com

 Thanks very much

 St Albans Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade

Dear Members,

Its that time of year again… St Albans Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade's biggest fundraising event the Convict 100 Bike Ride which will be held this year on Saturday 3rd May 2014. Click here for event info

We need your help with manning checkpoints and various other duties on the day and assisting with car parking the night before, Friday 2nd May, from about lunchtime onwards.

Please could you let myself and Bruce know if your are able to help out and which times and days you are available. You can either email,  address are mulberryhillbj@bigpond.com (Bruce) and siobhan1632@gmail.com (Siobhan) or call Bruce on 02 4568 2075.

We will be discussing this at the Brigade General Meeting which is being held at St Albans Fire Shed on Friday 28th March 2014 at 7:00pm.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards
Siobhan & Bruce

To the residents of the Macdonald Valley

The executive members of our brigade would like to say a huge thank you to all of our active and support members for the time they have given in helping with the recent bush fires. This started with the Webbs Creek fire and continued with our involvement in the State Mine fire
at Bilpin before another huge effort to contain the Howes Swamp fire in our own backyard at Melon Creek. Four and a half weeks in total. All in all a great effort and a job well done!

I would also like to extend a very special thank you to the community of St Albans for the way you rallied around to support the members in the field with food and cakes and your encouragement and appreciation. Pulling together like this is what makes our community so
special.
 
Once again, thank you all
  
Don McKillop
Captain, St Albans Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade

The Howes Valley Fire is now in the remote inaccessible area of the Bala Range.  It is still moving in all directions slowly.  This means that our crews can have a well earned rest while the RAFT (Remote Area Fire Teams) are dropped in to look after it.  Management in at Wilberforce are hard at work trying to work out
where the next set of containment lines should be put in.
 
All this is dependant on the weather and what the wind activity does to the fire line.  If the fire threatens homes or assets it will be all hands on deck again.
 
Thank you again to everyone who helped in some way.  Nearly everyone in the community became involved in some way be it active fire fighters, those supporting the active fire fighters, those who made the wonderful cakes, scones, meals etc etc. Those who made some sort of donation.  All your efforts were
appreciated very very much.
 
We live in a wonderful community and it was heart warming to receive so many emails expressing support for those giving up their time to work on the fires all to keep our community safe.


A big thank you to those who had not been so active in our brigade due to other commitments but answered the call to come in and help when everyone was getting pretty tired.  Look out guys I intend putting you back on our roster.
 
If any of you would like to join the brigade and help out, please drop in and get an application form.  What you learn on the course will assist you in preparing your own property for fire season.
 
Remember we volunteer to protect our community and to keep it safe

Thank you

Don & Sherri

Hi All,

Firstly, a big thank you to those of you who have been bringing food to the shed.  The response has been overwhelming and is very much appreciated.  

As you may know or have seen Sarah Brookes from NPWS has been manning the shed and communications room over the past week and done a wonderful job at keeping things happening and getting us (RFS and NPWS) supplies as needed. 

NPWS have a contingent of workers both out in the field and doing local logistics. They have come from all over the state.

We have had RFS crews from everywhere in the Hawkesbury helping us with our round the clock shifts.  

The food you locals have been supplying has been shared with everyone and is so greatly appreciated as the supplied sandwiches and snack packs only go so far.

There has been a little bit of smoke around over the past week so I suppose we better tell you what is happening...

Howes Swamp Fire has now burnt out around 20,000 hectares. During the gusty winds on Sunday the Howes Swamp fire spotted over the bulldozer track that was put in Wallaby Creek Sector (North and West). The Sky Crane was unable to prevent it spreading.  It was a little too windy.  

At the same time a new fire started at Lower Portland (Laws Fire) on Laws Farm Rd which is north of Lower Portland and was threatening homes, so lots of resources were sent there.  One Lower Portland crew was working with us and could only listen to what was happening there.  This fire has still not been contained but everyone is doing their best to contain it.

Yesterday in the winds the Howes Swamp fire spotted again but this time across the MacDonald River in several places. This was on the northern and eastern side of the fire.  For those who know the area it was up near Floyds shack (About 30 Kms up river from Graeme Blackwood's in very remote country). The fire is not currently posing any threat to residents as it is in the NP near the Bula Ranges

The predicted weather for the next couple of days is for milder conditions. However, Thursday could cause some problems as there is another windy hot front moving in which could move the fire east towards or above the common. 

In short please keep yourselves aware of the fire movement and keep checking the RFS and the St Albans Volunteer RFS websites.  Should  you see embers falling watch that they do not start spot fires.  If they do phone 000 and if possible put the spot fires out.  Hopefully the fire will remain in isolated areas and not near any of our homes.

Cheers

Sherri and Don