NSW Fire and Rescue in Albury is asking building contractors to stop using hay bales at construction sites in the city centre after a spate of fires during the past week.
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Fire officers have been called to several locations, including the Art Gallery building site on Dean Street and the Kiewa Street works across the road from Westend Plaza.
Station commander at Albury Central Dave Herbert said the flames had also caused damage to the hessian fencing.
“Builders are required to put up a barrier around the site to keep people out,” he said.
“They are using hay bales as an anchoring weight for the fence and the hessian. The bales are against the fence and easy to get at and it doesn’t take a lot to get them to start burning.”
While the incidents have so far taken only minutes to attend to and extinguish, Mr Herbert said the fires could be difficult to get at due to the way they were fenced off.
“It’s something to be aware of, particularly if contractors can be aware of it and possibly use something other than hay bales that would be good,” he said.
