Fire season almost over, but take care

The Country Fire Authority has announced restriction in district 24 – covering Wodonga, Indigo and Alpine municipalities – will officially end on April 18.

Operations manager Paul King warned people holidaying over school holidays and Easter to pay attention to fire safety. “If you still choose to have a campfire, ensure you do the right thing with campfires and extinguish them properly,” he said.

But farmers can now be granted exceptions from councils to start agricultural burns and begin planning next season’s crops.

The CFA advised Wodonga, Wangaratta, Indigo and Benalla councils that conditions were suitable to issue permits to burn under controlled circumstances so landholders could remove excess vegetation.

North East region community safety manager Darren Viney said permits would only be issued under strict conditions.

“Agricultural businesses need to understand the risks when planning to burn off,” he said.

“A permit is only valid if all conditions are followed, including light up times, notifications, if weather conditions are appropriate and requirements for properly extinguishing the burn off.”

Forestry Corporation of NSW also lifted its ban on solid fuel fires on Friday, meaning campers could light campfires and barbecues using wood, charcoal or other fuels.

District manager Andrew McCurdy said the ban during summer was to limit the risk of bushfires, but the high-risk period had passed with the end of NSW’s formal fire season.

“Remember to put safety first and never leave a campfire unattended,” he said.

“Please use properly constructed fire places, sweep away all leaves grasses and other flammable material around the fireplace before lighting a campfire, and make sure your campfire is completely extinguished before you leave the forest.”