Hazard reduction burns continue in metropolitan national parks as weather stays favourable

Media release: 20 August 2015

NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) will use the recent run of mild and dry weather to continue its program of hazard reduction burns in national parks across the Sydney metropolitan, Blue Mountains and Illawarra regions.

NPWS Director Metro and Mountains, Mr Tom Bagnat said that a series of hazard reduction burns totalling almost 5,000 hectares would be completed by NPWS fire experts, in conjunction with NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) and Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) through to Sunday, including:

 

• Helicopter Spur HR in Blue Mountains National Park, burning since Monday 17 August, southwest of Glenbrook, off Woodford Oaks Trail - hazard reduction burn totalling 1,078 hectares.
• Starlights HR in Nattai National Park, Thursday 20 August, active for three days and followed by several patrol days, ~10km northwest of Hill Top.  During the burn program and until the area is declared safe, Emmetts Flat Campground and Starlights Walking Trail will be closed. Smoke may affect visibility on Wattle Ridge Road, Wilson’s Drive, residential streets in Hill Top, and along adjacent sections of the Hume Highway - hazard reduction burn totalling 1,600 hectares.
• Williams Ridge HR in Blue Mountains National Park, Thursday 20 August, followed by several days of patrol. The burn will be ~2km south of mid mountains villages between Wentworth Falls and Lawson and east of Tableland Road Wentworth Falls. During the burn program and until the area is declared safe the following closures will be in effect: Ingar Fire Trail, Ingar Camping Ground and day use area, Bedford Creek Fire Trail and Andersons Fire Trail, including mountain biking and walking routes - hazard reduction burn totalling 605 hectares.
• Paterson Range HR in Blue Mountains National Park, Thursday 20 August, followed by several patrol days, south of the Bells Line of Road, ~3km west of Kurrajong Heights. The Burralow Campground and Patersons Range Fire Trail will be closed during the burn and until the area is declared safe – hazard reduction burn totalling 466 hectares.
• Koworal HR in Blue Mountains National Park, Thursday 20 August, followed by several patrol days. North of the Fairmont Resort in Leura – hazard reduction burn totalling 6 hectares.
• Queen Victoria South HR in Blue Mountains National Park, Friday 21 August, followed by several patrol days, ~6km south of Wentworth Falls and Bullaburra, east of Tableland Road. The Kings Tableland Road in Blue Mountains National Park (south of the old Queen Victoria hospital) will be closed to non-residential traffic from Friday 21 August until the area is declared safe.  This includes access to McMahons Lookout and the Andersons fire trail mountain bike route - hazard reduction burn totalling 800 hectares.
• Woodford West HR in Blue Mountains National Park, Friday 21 August, followed by several patrol days, ~2km north of Woodford, immediately west of Woodford Dam. All public access will be closed off (on foot behind gates) to Blue Mountains National Park and the Woodford Special Area via extensions off Winbourne Road, Clear View Parade, Mount View Avenue and Wellesley Road until the area is declared safe – hazard reduction burn totalling 73 hectares.
• Slippery Dip Trail HR in Garigal National Park, Friday 21 August, Ingleside, north of Wakehurst Parkway, near Narrabeen and Oxford Falls. Slippery Dip Trial will be closed during the burn, until declared safe.  Smoke may impact Cromer, Frenchs Forest, Allambie Heights and adjoining suburbs - hazard reduction burn run by RFS totalling 132 hectares.
• Kanangra Duckholes HR in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Saturday 22 August, at Terry Hills north of Mona Vale Road.  Duck Holes Trial will be closed during the burn, until the area is declared safe - hazard reduction burn run by RFS with NPWS support totalling 11.3 hectares.
• Pacific Park HR in Maroota Ridge State Conservation Area, Saturday 22 August from 10am, adjacent to Maroota South Oval – hazard reduction burn run by RFS with NPWS support totalling 36 hectares.

“These burns are strategically undertaken to increase protection for homes and properties during summer, with the involvement of a number of agencies that include the RFS and FRNSW,” said Mr Bagnat.

People in smoke affected areas, with asthma or who are susceptible to respiratory problems, are advised to take necessary precautions during burning operations.

“NPWS also reminds motorists that smoke may affect roads around each burn, including sections of the Hume Highway adjacent to Nattai National Park.  We ask that you please drive to the conditions, adhere to local signage and any direction given by onsite fire crews,” said Mr Bagnat.

These burns are some of the many hazard reduction operations undertaken by NPWS across NSW each year many with assistance from the RFS and FRNSW.

These hazard reduction burns are part of the NSW Government’s $62.5 million package to boost bushfire preparedness and double hazard reduction in the State’s national parks, where conditions allow.

With the assistance of the Enhanced Bushfire Management Program, NPWS plans to burn an average of over 135,000 hectares per year, through more than 800 individual hazard reduction activities.

For health information relating to smoke from bush fires and hazard reduction burning, visit the NSW Health website or the Asthma Foundation.

Contact: Danielle Schwerin