Parkes is gearing up for a hot start to summer this year with temperatures expected to peak between 35-36 degrees over the next four days.
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Combine this with the very high grass levels left behind from the winter and early spring rains, it potentially makes for a very big fire season ahead for the Rural Fire Service Mid Lachlan Valley Team.
With that comes a warning from the team’s operations officer Daniel Gordon for residents and farmers to be vigilant.
“The three-month outlook is we’re expecting above average temperatures and very dry conditions,” Mr Gordon said.
“That’s coupled with high fuel loads because we’ve had all that rain.”
It’s predicted Friday will reach 36 degrees in Parkes and will drop one degree on Saturday to 35 degrees, before rising to 36 degrees again on Sunday and Monday.
Hot winds are also forecast with wind speeds of between 20-40km/h.
“With hot days ahead, we’re asking people to start preparing their properties by removing rubbish and long grass around their homes,” Mr Gordon said.
“Clear out your gutters, keep up to date with weather conditions and be vigilant.
“We’re also encouraging farmers to use the grain harvest guide we released a couple of weeks ago – to help them to determine if it’s safe to harvest.
“It’s important to have well maintained fire breaks on their properties to protect their crops and assets, as well as preventing fires escaping or entering properties.”
The team area covers Parkes, Forbes, the Weddin Shire and Condobolin, consisting of 98 brigades in total – 23 of which are in the Parkes Shire.
Mr Gordon said brigades are working with landowners to help them prepare for the season and helping them to minimise the risk of fires entering their properties.
He said because the central west had received more rain than previous years, Mid Lachlan Valley Team are expecting this year’s fire danger to be higher than normal.
The rain also prevented firefighters from getting out in their trucks to conduct their annual hazard reduction burns, so too with farmers creating fire breaks on their properties.
“With it being so wet it took our window of opportunity away to conduct hazard reduction burns,” Mr Gordon said.
“At this time of year, we’re in a heightened risk period because of harvest, a lot of grass fires we do have are caused by machinery.”
Mr Gordon also said roadside fires are among their most common fires, caused from people parking their vehicles in long grass.
“Under the right conditions, the fire can quickly escape into a property and damaging crops,” he said.
The 400 hectare fire that ignited in a wheat crop 40 kilometres west of Condobolin at midday on November 21, was caused from a header.
It required the assistance of 10 tankers from the Mid Lachlan Valley Team and one aircraft – the first to be used for the season.
“That was very fast moving,” Mr Gordon said.
“And that was in conditions less dangerous than what we are having on Friday.
“It can get out of hand very quickly.”
