As the bush fire season looms, firefighters in New South Wales are calling on households to prepare their homes and properties. The NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) has launched a new safety campaign, “One Ember Can End It,” to raise public awareness about the dangers of embers in bush fires. Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib and RFS Commissioner Trent Curtin joined volunteers at the Engadine Rural Fire Brigade Station to launch the campaign earlier in September.
PHOTO: RFS Commissioner Trent Curtin speaking at the campaign launch CREDIT: NSW RFS
The campaign highlights that embers, which are the leading cause of house loss during bush fires, can ignite flammable materials such as leaves and debris around a home and yard, with a single ember able to destroy an unprepared home situated more than 20 kilometres away from the fire itself.
The RFS operational outlook, which anticipates a late onset to the fire season, stresses the increased risk of fast-moving grass fires and higher fuel-loads in bushland due to significant growth contributed by heavy rain. With forecasts pointing to a wetter-than-average spring, hazard reduction efforts have been limited. Wet weather and severe flooding events throughout 2024-25 have constrained the ability to meet these targets, requiring stable conditions which have been scarce.
Minister Dib said, “Embers are the biggest risk to homes during a bush fire, rapidly igniting leaves in a gutter, garden mulch, overgrown shrubs, or debris around the yard. This is a reminder that preparation is the best defence.”
PHOTO: NSW Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib talking about the importance of being prepared.
Commissioner Curtin added, “It’s a common and dangerous misconception that you have to be surrounded by bushland to be impacted by a bush fire. Spot fires ignited by embers have been recorded more than 20 kilometres away, putting homes far from the direct flames at risk.”