NEW SOUTH WALES BUSHfiRE devastation ‘a wake-up call’

This NSW bushfire season has already burnt through more land than any other in the past 25 years, the Rural Fire Service says, as residents are warned to heed a “wake-up call” for difficult 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.

More than 420 homes have been destroyed in the past fortnight alone. Some 1.6 million hectares of land have been lost - more land loss than the entire 1993/1994 season, RFS Deputy Commissioner Rob Rogers said.

Firefighters were battling a firefront of some 6000km, the equivalent distance of a return Sydney-Perth trip, Mr Rogers said yesterday.

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 told reporters in Sydney.

“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. Emergency Services Minister David Elliott said the biggest risk in the coming days would be firefighters becoming fatigued.