![FIRE GROUND: Emergency services at Jingellic last December as fires burnt in the region. FIRE GROUND: Emergency services at Jingellic last December as fires burnt in the region.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/u2TKvX7hYXGMrKgrD4ZiFN/a38b1b2b-65fa-471c-b258-0ec2c65bef55.jpg/r0_0_5184_3456_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Landowners have been warned they face penalties for failing to notify authorities of burn offs ahead of the bushfire danger period.
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In just one afternoon in 2018, 21 fires burnt out of control in the Albury, Corowa and Greater Hume regions after escaping containment.
Rural Fire Service Superintendent Pat Westwood said it was a situation he didn't want to see repeated.
"The bushfire danger period in the Albury, Berrigan and Greater Hume shires starts on November 1," he said.
"Notification is required until this time for anyone burning in the open air.
"People can enter their details to avoid unnecessary attendance by volunteers to fires that are of no threat to the community."
Superintendent Westwood said given how serious the last fire season was, there would be no warnings for those who did the wrong thing, with offenders to receive infringement notices.
![WARNING: Pat Westwood said planned burns needed to be reported to the Rural Fire Service. WARNING: Pat Westwood said planned burns needed to be reported to the Rural Fire Service.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/u2TKvX7hYXGMrKgrD4ZiFN/7ee2613e-567f-40c4-a03b-aded1025cc9d.jpg/r0_0_4896_3264_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
While regular rainfall has made vegetation more damp than last season - reducing the risk of serious bushfires - there will be an greater danger of grassfires from next month.
Superintendent Westwood said human error was the number one cause of fires.
"Accidental ignitions are the most common cause of fires, including people pulling cars over onto the side of the road, harvesting activities, illegal fires and people failing to adequately patrol prior burns," he said.
"People are encouraged to leave large timber piles until winter next year.
"Tree stumps will continue to burn for several months and could reemerge during the warmer months in November and December.
"People who don't notify via the Rural Fire Service website, and notify their neighbours 24 hours prior to burning, will be subject to infringement notices this year in an effort to prevent escaped fires."
There are some exemptions for fires used for warmth and cooking.
Details of the Victorian fire danger period in the North East are yet to be released.
IN OTHER NEWS:
Firefighters are expecting a quieter summer than last season, when major bushfires burnt throughout the Upper Murray.
A La Nina weather pattern is likely to bring extensive rainfall in coming months, with flooding a concern.
The last major flooding in Albury-Wodonga occurred around the Murray River in late 2016, while a flash flood also occurred on the Hume Highway near Wangaratta in December 2018.
People can notify the RFS of burns through the service's website at www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/notify